After the Last Breath
by Megan 74
Summary: Godric meets a witch who has a lot in common with him, surprisingly. Will they find solace with each other, or will tragedy keep them apart forever? And why does Eric suddenly have what his maker wants? Godric/OC, Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

After the Last Breath

by Megan 74

Rating: Mature

Pairing: Godric/OC, Godric/Eric/OC, Eric/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own True Blood or the Southern Vampire Mysteries. I just play with the characters before returning them to their rightful owners.

Summary: A witch, a vampire, and a tragedy. Will it bring two lost souls together, or drive a wedge between them forever?

Chapter 1

I sat on the ledge of the highest building in Dallas and for the umpteenth time contemplated letting go. Lean forward and feel the wind rush against my body before gravity pulled me to my death on the concrete below.

What a release it would be. What _freedom_ I would find, away from the darkness that occupied my every thought.

A slight noise, combined with a brush of power, pulled me back to awareness, and I turned to see a young man standing not ten feet behind me.

Wait. Not a man. A vampire.

His aura had that paleness, that lifelessness, that always gave vampires away. Besides that, he was looking awfully pale for a resident of Texas. Another giveaway.

"Excuse me," he said, voice surprisingly soft. "I didn't know this spot was already occupied."

"No problem," I whispered, and cleared my throat. How had he gotten up here? I knew how I had gotten up here. Teleportation. But I'd never met a vampire before who could teleport. Maybe he'd flown? I'd heard rumours that some vampires could actually fly, but I'd never witnessed it.

He cocked his head to the side and took me in. His eyes were blue and his hair was short and dark. He looked not a day older than eighteen, but I knew he might very well be centuries old. You never could tell with vampires.

"Perhaps you'll allow me to join you?" he asked.

"It's a free country," I said, not knowing what else to say. I tensed involuntarily when he approached quickly - too quickly - and sat himself down on the ledge besides me. He smiled at me, but I was unable to do anything other than stare back at him.

Was he planning on having me for dinner? I hadn't felt the pull on my mind of his glamour yet, and if he tried that he'd soon find out I'd be able to block it.

And even though I'd contemplated death not minutes before, the idea of dying at the hands of a vampire was an appalling one. If I were going to die, I'd be the one orchestrating it. Not some dead guy with fangs.

"I'm Godric," he said conversationally, his soft smile never leaving his face.

"I'm Turid," I replied cautiously, keeping a spell to conjure fire ready on the tip of my tongue. If he tried anything, I'd burn him to a crisp.

"Turid?" he asked, pleasantly surprised. "Are you Scandinavian?"

"Nope," I said, shaking my head. I looked Scandinavian. Tall, lithe, blond and blue-eyed. He wasn't the first to come to that conclusion, between my name and my looks. A lot of guys at college called me 'the Swedish bikini-model' behind my back. Idiots.

"I'm from Romanian and British descent." I had no idea why I explained myself to him, yet I did.

He smiled again, and before I could stop myself thinking it, I came to the conclusion that he looked nice when he smiled. Almost handsome.

"I am from what is called Britain nowadays myself."

"Huh," I said, and looked away from him, up to the sky.

"Why do you come here?" he asked, following my gaze up.

"Stargazing," I said immediately. I knew telling him the truth was out of the question. It might give him ideas.

"There are better places to gaze at the stars. There is too much light pollution here in the city."

I knew he was right, of course, but I wasn't going to tell him I came here to contemplate suicide. So I kept silent.

"How did you get up here?" he asked.

That got my attention, and I snapped my head around and stared into his eyes. He had a point, of course. No ordinary human could get up here without a _very_ long climb and without sneaking through several off-limit areas inside the building.

He waited patiently for me to answer, his eyes soft yet inquisitive.

"Teleportation," I finally whispered, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Impressive," he said as his smile grew wider. "I could tell you have power."

"How?"

He tapped his nose. I'd figured he'd smelled it somehow. Vampires could smell just about anything.

"How did you get up here?" I asked, figuring since he asked me I could ask him right back.

"I flew."

I couldn't help the grin from tugging on my lips. I _knew_ it. "You and superman," I said with a snigger.

He didn't seem offended at my lame joke, thank goodness. Offending a vampire was never a good idea, no matter what power you might have to fend them off.

"It comes in handy," he said lightly. "Do you work with your talent?"

I gave him a confused look.

He shook his head as if in amusement. "Do you work as a witch?"

"No," I snapped, startling even myself at the amount of venom behind such a small word. "I'm a student at UT Dallas."

"Ah," he said, looking down. "What do you study?"

I was losing my patience rapidly. "What is this? Twenty questions?"

Now it was his turn to look confused, as I pushed myself away from the ledge with force, stumbling in the process. It took me a moment to find my balance, and that was all it took for the vampire to appear right in front of me. Stupid vampire speed.

"What do you want with me?" I snarled, glaring at him. There was no need to explain my question any further. He knew exactly what I meant. Vampires and witches do not get along. Vampires are uneasy around witches, to say the least, since we are one of the few people on this planet who can cause vampires serious harm. And witches didn't like vampires. They're dead people walking around. Enough said.

He held up his pale hands in a sign of surrender. "I meant you no offence, Turid," he whispered, and for the first time that evening I felt a slight brush of his power against my mind in an obvious attempt to calm me.

It didn't calm me. It infuriated me. I shook his power off with ease, but before I could give voice to my anger he spoke.

"You never asked me what I come up here for."

That threw me off and I blinked once, twice -

"I come up here to think about the sun," he said softly, so softly, that for a moment I thought I'd imagined his words. But when those words finally sunk in, my knees gave out.

Two arms, hard as rock, caught me before I hit the floor. He pressed me against his equally hard chest, and even though I was an inch taller than him, I felt small in his embrace.

"Why do you want to end it, little witch?" he whispered into my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"How do you know?" I replied with a choked sob.

A cool hand stroked down my back, a little clumsily, as though its owner had long forgotten how to give comfort.

"I know because I recognized the expression on your face, the fading light in your eyes." His cool breath ghosted across my neck. "I see it every time I look in the mirror."

I turned my head and stared in his eyes, and was lost in the depth and pain I saw in them. For the first time I realized that this was no mere vampires of a few centuries old. This man was _ancient_.

Anguish washed over me now that I'd found a soul as lost as I was. I no longer cared that this was a vampire, a man long dead, a predator who hunted my kind. I clung to him, my hands curled in his white shirt, and I lowered my forehead onto his shoulder as sobs wrecked themselves from deep within me.

Tears dampened my cheeks and his shoulder, and noises, guttural and primal, gave voice to my pain and despair.

He held me, not making a sound, not moving an inch, his arms strong around me, his face pressed against my hair.

I don't know how long we stood there, predator and prey, vampire and witch, two unlikely creatures united in a common desire to leave all behind. I shook against him and he held me closer, and it wasn't until I heard the click of his fangs descending that some sense returned to my fogged mind.

Oh, _hell_ no.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I pulled back enough to see the vampire's fangs glistening in the dim light of the moon. I'd seen vampire fangs before, but never from this close, and a shiver of fear ran through me before I could squash it with a healthy bout of anger.

His strong arms released me, and I stepped back to see the vampire stare at me with a peculiar expression on his face.

He looked almost sheepish.

Before I could yell at him, he cleared his throat quite unnecessarily. "Forgive me, Turid," he said as his fangs disappeared with a soft click. "I have not fed in a while, and the scent of your tears, the scent of _you_...well, it proved difficult to control such a basic urge."

I made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh, and suddenly I was aware of the situation, of the awkwardness of it all. I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment, and I turned my head away, though I was sure he noticed. Vampires are always keenly aware of how blood is distributed throughout the human body.

"Right," I said with false confidence. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Godric. Thanks for letting me ruin your shirt with my blubbering, but I really should be going."

"Wait," he said, before I could turn away completely. "Please, I would very much like to talk to you some more."

His cool hand touched my arm, but didn't grip it. I shook my head to clear my jumbled thoughts. It was his 'please' that halted me. "Talk about what?" I asked, glancing at him.

"You. Me. Us. This," he said with a small gesture of his hand. I knew what he meant, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about it. Could talk about it, without breaking down or throwing myself off the building.

I looked away and stared at the moon. Closing my eyes, I sent a silent prayer to the Goddess, something I hadn't done in a long time. I prayed for strength and guidance, for wisdom and forgiveness. And as sure as I knew my own name, I knew I had to talk to this vampire.

Things rarely happen for no reason at all. And in her infinite wisdom the Goddess had sent me onto the path of a vampire. But it wasn't the vampire part of him that mattered. His soul was as scarred as my own. That's what had brought us together, and that's why I had to talk to him.

I had to trust in the Goddess, as strange as her sense of humour was, obviously. A witch and a vampire finding solace with each other. Next thing pigs would fly and it would start raining toads.

I shook my head with a amused snort and looked at the vampire. At Godric. "Okay," I said with a confirmative nod. "Let's talk."

He smiled so brightly it lit up his eyes. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Perhaps we can go somewhere else to continue our conversation. The weather is changing."

He was right. A slight breeze had picked up, not a bad thing in the late Texan spring, but if it developed into a thunderstorm you didn't want to be sitting on top of Dallas' tallest building.

Before I could ask him how we were going to coordinate our travel arrangements, Godric turned his back to me. "Hop on," he said.

I stared.

"It is quite safe," he assured me. "I can easily fly us both to a better location."

_Fly_. He actually wanted to fly us out of there. Part of me quivered in fear, and another part of me, the part that never thought things through and always got me into trouble, was positively giddy at the thought of flying on the back of a vampire. I had many talents as a witch, but flying wasn't one of them, unless I booked an airline ticket.

"Okay," I said with a slight croak in my voice. I hooked my arms around his neck and with a little hop I sat on his lower back, my long legs angling around his body. Godric gripped me around my thighs, and before I could take another breath we were up and in the air.

I let out a petrified shriek - I couldn't help it - and squeezed my eyes shut. Godric rumbled with laughter; I could feel his body vibrate against my chest. I was suddenly insanely happy that I was wearing jeans, and not a skirt of dress. At least I didn't have to worry about people in the street looking up and seeing my private parts.

The brief moments in my life I had contemplated a vampire flying, I'd always envisioned it as floating, or perhaps bobbing gracefully through the air.

I had been wrong.

We were flying at a breakneck speed. I briefly opened my eyes, and before the wind made my eyes tear up I saw lights and buildings flash by below us. I squeezed my eyes shut again, buried my face in the crook of Godric's neck and held on for dear life.

Moments passed; many long moments, but I had no idea of the time. I began to relax just a little bit, enough to enjoy the press of Godric's cool body against mine, of the slight feeling of weightlessness, of the wind rushing past us.

We were _flying_, and I couldn't stop a smile from erupting as that thought finally settled in. I squinted and looked around as much as I dared and was shocked to see the country side instead of the city.

How long and how fast had we been flying?

We lowered speed, and I sat up slightly just as Godric set us down in a meadow surrounded by distant trees. The grass was still green - but wouldn't remain for long once summer set in properly - and the trees swayed in the gentle wind.

It was beautiful. Peaceful.

I slid down Godric's back and stood on unsteady legs. Godric held onto my elbow and looked at me with a soft smile.

"Wow," I said, unable to form a coherent sentence. "Just...wow."

"Let's sit down," Godric said, and eased himself down into the grass. I plonked down beside him with considerable less grace and looked expectantly at my vampire companion.

He'd brought us here. He was running this show.

Godric seemed to contemplate me for a moment. "Tell me," he said, and it almost sounded like an order. I looked at him with widened eyes. "Tell me what has you considering the end, Turid."

My throat closed up and I looked down at once. I didn't want to talk about this, didn't want to confess my darkest sins, but I knew I had to.

Too long had I been leading this half-life, where every waking moment was spent thinking about dying.

"I'll try," I said, my voice close to cracking. "I'm not sure where to begin."

"At the beginning," Godric said wisely, leaning back on one hand so he found a comfortable pose to look at me.

"All right," I said, and cleared my throat. The beginning it was. "I'm a witch and I come from a long line of witches. I grew up with my Dad. My mom died when I was a baby. My Dad was a great man. He was a wildlife photographer, so much of my childhood I spent travelling."

I smiled at the many memories that flooded my mind. "I grew up in the middle of nowhere, the world. I've been to many countries, seen many cultures, even learned to speak a few languages. I loved it."

The many happy memories in my mind were slowly being replaced by less happy ones. "I was very close with my Dad. It was always us against the world. He taught me magic. Lots of it. He was gifted in the craft, and he was sure I was, too. When I was of the age to start high school, we settled in California."

I glanced at Godric, and saw him staring at me with a blank expression on his face, so I continued.

"I did well in school. I like learning." I swallowed, and took a few moments to compose myself. "A few months before my eighteenth birthday, my dad died. Heart attack. I found him in the living room when I came home from school."

I couldn't say anything for a while, caught up in the memories of finding my Dad's lifeless body lying besides the couch, of the ambulance pulling up to the house with blaring sirens, of the social worker who visited me a few times until my eighteenth birthday came around.

"Did you have any other family?" Godric asked quietly.

I shook my head. "My Dad was an only child, and so am I. I never knew my grandparents. I think I still have some family in Romania from my mother's side, but they didn't approve her marrying my Dad, so I've never met them."

"What did you do?"

I looked up at Godric with a small smile. "I carried on with life. My dad left me money. Enough so I could go on with life. I'm not rich or anything, but I don't have to worry at least for a while, and I was able to go to college. I'm not a big spender, and I got a small scholarship, so - " I shut my mouth when I realized I was babbling way off course.

"Trouble started at college," I said bravely, even though my voice quivered. "I went to college in California, and there I joined a student group for alternate and pagan religions - "

"You're Wiccan?"

I nodded. "Pretty much. I try to live by the Wiccan Rede."

"Harm ye none, and do as ye will," Godric said, and it made me smile. The vampire knew his stuff.

"Yep, that's the one. Anyway, at the first group meeting I met Eliza." My throat closed up and I started shaking, and there was nothing I could do to stop it, until Godric placed his hand on my arm. His skin felt cool against mine. I stared into his eyes for a while, and finally, with an encouraging nod from Godric I continued.

"She was a witch, like me. After my Dad died, I felt lost. Well, magic-wise. I had plenty of friends, but they were all plain old humans. They knew nothing of magic. Eliza did. She _knew_.

"We became fast friends. We partied hard, we studied hard, and we did magic together." An involuntary sigh escaped me at some of the memories. "Boy, did we do magic. We were always trying new spells, more complicated spells, more powerful spells."

"You were close," Godric said, and the way he said it made me blush.

"Yep, as close as can be. College experimentation and all that." I had no idea why I felt the need to explain this to him. "I mean, I've had some boyfriends and stuff, but in Wicca there are few hang-ups concerning sex. As long as it's consensual pretty much anything goes."

Godric chuckled. "Like vampires."

I wasn't sure if I should feel offended or not that he'd compared my lifestyle with his, but I decided to let it slide.

I needed to swallow a few times before I could continue. "Eliza had few...brakes when it came to magic. My Dad had always been all about rules when it came to magic, but Eliza had none, and we got carried away. We started doing more and more dangerous magic, and even when it went wrong from time to time, we never stopped."

I hung my head. "It was all about power, and the power was intoxicating. Addictive. No, even more than that. I don't think I can explain it to someone who's not experienced it for themselves."

I glanced at Godric, but this information didn't seem to faze him.

Mentally, I started composing the rest of my story, and besides the pain that clenched around my heart, shame poured over me. Such shame that I started trembling. I couldn't look at Godric, couldn't acknowledge him as I continued with this sordid tale.

"We got drunk on weekends, and we experimented with drugs, usually when we did magic. It enhanced the experience. We smoked pot for the most part, tried mushrooms a few times, and then one night Eliza came over and said she had something we just had to try."

When I didn't continue for a few moments, Godric pressed on. "What did she have for you to try?"

"She'd gotten her hands on some V," I whispered and closed my eyes. I don't know what I was expecting. Perhaps for Godric to fly off in disgust, or pounce on me to tear my throat out. But nothing happened. There was silence, save for some crickets chirping in the distance. I was so sure to hear the click of his fangs, but he remained still.

I finally dared a glanced at him. Godric's expression was blank, but his gaze was sharp. "Go on," he said in a cool voice.

"We drove out into the desert, were we always did our magic. It was nice and remote. Eliza had brought a new spell book. I'm not sure where she even got it, but at that time I didn't care. We set our stuff up, and we took the V."

I ran a hand across my face, and was mildly surprised when it came away damp. I hadn't realized I'd started crying.

"The V really enhanced everything, and I was so caught up in...well, the whole friggin' universe, that I didn't realize what Eliza was doing until it was too late."

"What did she do?"

"She tried a spell from her new book, but it wasn't an ordinary spell. It was a summoning charm." My shoulders shook, and Godric slid closer and pulled me against his chest.

"What did she summon?" he whispered against my hair.

"A demon."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Godric stiffened against me. "What kind of demon?"

I couldn't look at him, so I kept my face pressed against his chest. "Not the kind that walk among us," I whispered. There were plenty of demons and half-demons that lived in our world. My Dad had even introduced me to a few throughout our many travels. Most kept to themselves, lived their lives, worked as lawyers or CEOs of profitable companies, raised their little demon families.

"This was the non-corporeal kind. One you summon so you can bargain with it, to gain something."

"The most dangerous kind," Godric said, more to himself than to me.

"Yep," I said, and closed my eyes, remembering that _thing_, its darkness, its shadow, its tainted power that ripped through every cell of my body.

I clung to Godric's shirt. "This demon could increase a witch's power tenfold. That's why Eliza had summoned it. To get more power. Only the V had addled her common sense so much, gave her so much false confidence, she'd forgotten the most important part. A demon like that demands a tribute, even for just showing up."

"A sacrifice," Godric said, his cold lips brushing against the back of my neck.

"Yes. And the only sacrifice big enough for that kind of demon is a human sacrifice."

I couldn't continue for a few moments, but Godric didn't push me. We sat in silence as thoughts swirled through my head, trying to make sense of what had happened that faithful night.

"Human sacrifices are a big no-no in magical circles, for obvious reasons. The magic that can be gained from it is always tainted. It always leaves a stain on your soul," I finally said. Sticking to explaining things in a detached manner was the only way I could continue.

"Eliza had nothing to offer the demon. At that moment, I thought perhaps it might take me as a sacrifice, but it didn't seem interested in me. Eliza tried to bargain, tried to undo the spell, but the demon kept demanding its sacrifice. So it took her."

I couldn't keep from sobbing, trembling, and Godric held me closer, his body a cold rock I could cling to as the memories threatened to swallow me and pull me under the darkness that had haunted me ever since that night.

"The demon just went inside of her. There were shadows, and teeth, and then blood. So much blood. And I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even move as I heard Eliza scream.

"When the demon was finally done, there were only pieces of her left, spread around our clearing. And then the demon turned to me."

Godric's hand cupped my chin and carefully turned my face so he could look down into my eyes. "What did it do?"

"It laughed at me. It seemed so awfully pleased with itself. And then it said that since Eliza had kept her side of the bargain, it would do to. It gave me its power."

Godric gasped, and it was such a peculiar sound from a vampire that I was momentarily distracted from my horrible memories. "It increased your power tenfold?" Godric asked, in a voice that held both horror and awe.

"It did. It passed through me, and I could feel myself humming with its power. But with that power came its darkness. Its power tainted me." I rubbed a hand across my arm, as if I could brush the demon's taint off my skin.

"I don't want this power. I will never use it. It's destroyed everything." And with that I slumped against Godric until I slid down his body and lay with my head in his lap. He didn't stop me.

I had done it. I had finally confessed my deepest, darkest secret. And it had been a confession, of that I was sure. Not a confession made to a priest or a priestess, or even to the Goddess, but to a vampire, who himself perhaps had done things a hundred or a thousand times worse than I had ever done. But with this confession a weight lifted off me, and the darkness left me for just a few moments, so I felt numb and empty for the first time in months.

"If you want to kill me, I would let you," I whispered, my gaze strained on the trees in the distance. And I meant it. I had cleansed my soul as well as I could, and if the end came now, I would accept it.

Cool fingers brushed across my damp cheek and tucked a few strands of my long hair behind my ear. "I do not want to kill you," Godric said with a note of certainty to his voice. "I do, however, want to hear the rest of this story. What happened next?"

"Er..." I was so surprised by his reply, I couldn't form words. I pushed myself up until I was sitting against him, my head leaning on his shoulder. "The demon left. It had gotten what it came for, I suppose. And I just stood there for a long time, trembling with power, and horror. I couldn't call the cops. Human cops know nothing of magic. And I couldn't call any other witches. I was never part of any covens in the area, but I knew several. If they realized what we'd done, what power I'd gained, they'd probably have me incarcerated, or even put to death."

I swallowed at the memories of how overwhelmed I'd been, how confused I'd felt. "And I didn't want to die. Not at that moment. So I threw the spell book Eliza had brought into our little campfire, gathered up our stuff, and left. I hightailed it out of there. And seeing as how remote the location was, I knew it would be months, if not years, before Eliza's remains were found. By then nobody would know what had really happened. They'd probably think she'd been a hiker who'd been mauled to death by a black bear or a cougar."

I now realized that it had been the demon's power inside me that had made me react in such a detached way, and that realization made me shiver.

"I got home, and packed things. Just packed up everything I could fit into my car, and a few hours after dawn, I started driving east. And I didn't stop driving until I reached Dallas."

"Why Dallas?" Godric asked with a small smile.

I shrugged. "I almost fell asleep at the wheel as I passed through here. So I got a room at a motel and slept for 30 hours straight. And then I decided that this was as good a place as any to settle. I rented a small house, got a part-time job at a book store, and signed up for the next semester at UT Dallas. That was a few months ago, and I've been here ever since."

"And when did you start thinking about - "

I cut Godric off with a wave of my hand. I knew what he meant, but I didn't want to hear him say it. "Not at first. The first month I just went on with things. I felt really...detached. The only thing out of the ordinary was that I had trouble sleeping. And then the nightmares started, and it was as if a veil was lifted from my mind, and the darkness took over. That's when I started teleporting myself onto buildings. I think I was looking for the perfect spot to - " I stopped talking and shook my head.

Godric gave a quick nod. I guess he understood what I meant. Good, because I had no other way to explain it.

"Thank you for telling me this," Godric said, and he sounded sincere. "But you never answered my question."

"What?" I asked, giving him a confused look.

"What do you study at this college?"

"Biology," I answered with a snigger. Some tension broke, and I felt my shoulders sag. "What with growing up in the wild, I'd always wanted to be a wildlife biologist."

"And now?"

I let out a long breath. "I'm not sure anymore. I'm taking the appropriate classes, but I'm not sure about anything anymore."

"You will figure it out," Godric said with the kind of certainty I hadn't felt in a long time. "You are a smart young woman. I think you could do anything you wanted to do."

I stared at him for a moment, taking in his pale features, his curious blue eyes, and then I did the only thing that seemed logical at that time. I leaned in and kissed him.

He seemed startled for all of three seconds, his lips immobile against my own, but then he tilted his head just a bit and kissed me back. His lips were surprisingly soft, and he tasted of something earthy and wild when his tongue touched mine.

Once I realized what I was doing - kissing a vampire, kissing a man who knew my sins - I pulled back and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, my cheeks flushed with more than just embarrassment.

"You are sorry you kissed me?" Godric asked with a curious smile.

"Yes. No. I mean... " I sighed. "It's been a weird night."

Godric chuckled. "That it has been. But did you not enjoy kissing me?"

My goodness, was he trying to embarrass me further? "I did enjoy it," I said airily, my attention suddenly focussed on the many stars above us.

"Good," Godric said, keeping his gaze on me. "I enjoyed it, too."

Well, what was I to say to that. Time to change the subject. "So why do you... er... sit on top of buildings and think about the sun?"

Godric sobered, his expression melting it its default blank state. "It would take too long for me to explain that to you properly. But I will tell you, if you'll hear my story. Perhaps tomorrow?"

"Oh. Okay," I said with a solemn nod. I wanted to hear his story. In fact, I wanted to learn everything there was to learn about this vampire. "Will you tell me how old you are, though?"

"I do not remember my exact age," Godric replied with a twinkle in his eyes. "But I do know that I'm over 2000 years old."

I gaped at him. For many moments, I just gaped at him. I'd known he was old, but 2000 years? "Holy crap!" It was all I could say, until things started to dawn on me, and I perked up. "Have you ever seen a real dodo? Or a tasmanian tiger - a thylacine?"

That earned me full-blown laughter from Godric, who looked at me with an expression that held both amusement and incredulity. "You wish to know what extinct animals I may have encountered?"

"Yes!" I said, unable to keep my enthusiasm in check. "I mean, I'm a biologist at heart. Have you seen a dodo or a thylacine?"

"No, sadly I have not encountered these animals. I was not around those areas when they were discovered, and both went extinct fairly quickly after their discovery," he explained as I nodded along. It made sense. "But I used to hunt Aurochs, when I was still human."

"Aurochs? Are you kidding me?" I gripped his shoulders and gave him a shake, yet he didn't move an inch. I might as well have tried to shake a thousand pound boulder.

Godric laughed again, and it was a miraculous sound. How could the laughter of a vampire warm my insides? I tried not to think about it too much.

"Aurochs were huge," said, his voice warming with excitement. "They do not compare to the domesticated cattle you see today, even though this cattle is of course descendent from the Aurochs. Their horns were sharp as knives, and their bodies were one block of muscle. And they were vicious as a pack of wolves, and as fast on their feet as the autumn gale. I have lost a few tribesmen during our hunts, but the risk was worth it. One Aurochs could feed our people for a long time."

I was in biology heaven, and I couldn't help a very sappy grin from spreading across my face. "Godric, this is just so...incredible! You have to tell me more!"

"And I will," he said, as he rose to his feet. He held out a hand to me, and I took it, so he could pull me up as well. "But it is getting late, so for now I will see you home."

See me home? Did he mean flying? "I can just teleport home," I said, a little shyly. Godric had already done so much for me. I didn't want to have to inconvenience him.

"Are you sure? You seem quite tired, and I do not want you to strain yourself."

Hm. I was tired, exhausted even, and I guess it showed if Godric had noticed it.

"I do not mind flying you home," Godric assured me. "It would be my pleasure."

"All right." I nodded and gave him my address and some general directions. Godric offered me his back, and I climbed on, a little more confident this time.

We were off in seconds, and I let myself enjoy the experience this time around. I kept my eyes closed, and my face buried in the crook of his neck, and I tried not to think too much about the salvation I'd found that night, in the embrace of a vampire.

Godric set us down on my small porch, and I eased myself off his back, unable to look at him for a few moments.

"Godric," I started, desperately searching for words to express my reeling emotions. "I want to thank you, but I'm not sure how I could ever thank you - "

"Shh," Godric said, and cupped my cheeks with his cool hands. He brushed his lips across mine in a feather-light kiss. "I will visit you tomorrow, an hour after sunset, if that is agreeable with you."

"Yes," I said at once, smiling so widely at actually hurt my lips. "Yes, I would like that."

"Goodnight, Turid," he said, and with one last caress to my cheek he took off and was gone.

I sighed as I stared into the darkness for a moment longer, and then turned on my heels and let myself into my house. I made a beeline for my bedroom, didn't even bother undressing myself, and flopped down on top of the covers of my bed. My body was limp, my mind was exhausted, and I fell asleep in seconds. My last thoughts were of ancient blue eyes, and wind in my face, and soft lips kissing my own.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I woke just after 1 pm, realized I'd missed my morning classes, and buried my head back into my pillow. As the previous night's events came rushing back to me, I felt surprisingly... calm. Until I realized Godric was coming over later, and that gave me enough energy to jump out of bed.

I took care of all my morning ablutions quickly and efficiently, dressed in a pair of denim shorts, a white tank top and my favourite sandals, and decided to head to the store for some groceries. Not that the vampire needed food, but I certainly did, and my cupboards were pathetically empty.

And for the first time in a months I felt like cooking myself a tasty meal. Oh, I made myself no illusions that my little chat with the vampire had suddenly cured me of all my problems, but as long as I felt a little better I might as well enjoy it.

As I made my way through my living room, I looked at it with a critical eye. And in a way, it was as if I was seeing it for the very first time. Most of my furniture existed of second-hand items from Craigslist and freebies from Freecycle. I'd had to leave all my nicer stuff behind when I moved here, and since I'd had no idea how long I'd stay here, I hadn't spent much money on my little home.

It all looked clean, but a little worn out. I sighed, and walked out the door. Once seated in my little Toyota, I decided to hit the nearest Wal-mart. Maybe I could pick up some throw-pillows, or a nice rug to cheer my interior up a bit.

And that thought pulled me back to reality. Was I actually concerned about my furniture because I had a vampire guest coming over? Yes, yes, I was. What was wrong with me?

I made quick work of the grocery section, and loaded up my cart with veggies and fruit, milk and bread, and some free-range eggs. An omelette for lunch, and some chicken-veggies stir-fry for dinner, that was the plan. As I headed towards the other end of the store, I came across a display for True Blood. Should I pick up some blood for Godric? It was the polite thing to do, I reasoned, and I shuffled closer to check out the four-packs of bottled blood-substitute. Wait, they had flavours? O-positive, and B-negative and goodness knows what else. What was I supposed to get? After some more deliberation, I noticed they had a variety pack, and I dumped one of those into my cart. That should do it.

I finally made my way to the other parts of the store and yes, I'm ashamed to say I picked up some pillows and a rug and a large piece of burgundy fabric to drape over my ratty couch.

After a quick stop at the pet store to pick up some frozen rats for Herbert, my pet snake, I hurried back home and spent the rest of the day cleaning and organizing, and I even managed to do two loads of laundry.

I checked the exact time of sunset on my laptop. 8:19 pm. And Godric would be over an hour after that.

I had my dinner, and afterwards l took a long shower and primped myself in front of the mirror. It felt like ages since I'd worn a little mascara and lip gloss. I let my long, blonde hair fall loose over my shoulders, and then decided - after much digging through my closet - to wear a simple yellow and pale-blue sundress.

After I was satisfied with the result, I poured myself a large glass of sweet tea and plopped down on the couch. There was still some time before my guest would arrive, so I turned on the TV and after some zapping decided to watch some inane program on Animal Planet about some poor tourist who got eaten by a saltwater crocodile in Australia. Really, how hard is it to understand one shouldn't go swimming in crocodile infested waters?

My doorbell rang at 9:15 sharp, and my heartbeat sped up as I turned off the TV and answered the door.

"Good evening," Godric said with a pleasant smile, and was it my imagination or did his eyes seem just a little bluer tonight?

"Hi," I said, and stepped away from the doorway. "Please come in."

"Thank you." Godric entered my home and stopped in front of me. "You look beautiful," he whispered, and brushed a kiss against my cheek. I felt it all the way down in my toes, and at that moment I knew I was done for. Somehow this vampire, this dead guy, had awakened something in me I had feared gone forever.

We stared at each other for a minute, and I wondered if Godric had had a similar moment of realization. I hoped he had.

"Would you like some blood?" I finally asked to break the tension that had been building between us. "I got some at the store."

Godric nodded, and as I gestured at him to follow me to the kitchen, he said, "I appreciate you thought of me, but you shouldn't have troubled yourself to get blood for me."

I looked over my shoulder with a sly smile. "I figured it might keep any fang malfunctions to a minimum."

That earned me a deep rumble of laughter from Godric, and entirely too pleased with myself I opened my fridge and pulled out the four-pack. When I looked back at Godric, I caught him staring at the rat I'd put on a small plate to defrost on my kitchen counter.

"It appears dead," Godric said earnestly, glancing between me and the rat. "Would you like me to dispose of it for you? If my memory serves me right, womenfolk can be quite skittish around such vermin."

I burst out in laughter, and flapped a hand to compose myself. "No, no, that's dinner for my snake." At Godric's confused look, I put the blood on the counter and stepped over to the rat. "Here, I'll show you."

I checked the rat to make sure it was completely defrosted, and picked it up by its tail. "Let me introduce you to Herbert," I said with a grin, and Godric followed me to the corner of the living room where Herbert lived in his fancy cage.

I popped open the plexi-glass door of Herbert's cage, and the moment Herbert picked up the scent of the rat he stuck his head out from under his wooden hidey hole.

"He's a ball python," I said to Godric, who stood beside me and peered curiously inside the cage.

"Is it venomous?" he asked, a little warily.

"No, he's a constrictor," I replied, and Herbert chose that moment to strike at the rat I held out to him, and he coiled his body around it. "That's how they kill. They constrict their prey."

"And this snake is your pet?"

"Yep. I always wanted a dog or a cat, but that was impossible with the amount my Dad and I travelled. So when I went to high school, my Dad let me have a snake, since they're pretty easy to care for as long as you get their temperatures right."

Godric seemed to consider this as we watched Herbert uncoil from his prey and seek out its head with tiny flicks of his tongue. "I've never known a person before who keeps a snake as a pet."

I shrugged. "Reptiles are quite popular as pets, but I guess that is a recent development, when considering human history."

Godric nodded. "I can only recall people killing snakes on sight, not keeping them in a cage and caring for them."

"Well," I said, as I closed the cage so Herbert could eat his meal in peace. "Times change."

"That they do." Godric brushed his hand across my lower back, sending shivers up my body as we walked back inside the kitchen. I quickly washed my hands, and offered the four-pack to Godric.

"It's got different flavours. Which would you like?"

Godric considered the bottles for a moment, and then tapped one. "AB-negative, thank you."

With a smile I read the instructions on the bottle, and popped it in the microwave. I got myself a refill of sweet tea, and handed Godric the bottle of blood after it was heated sufficiently.

We settled on the couch, sitting comfortingly close, our legs brushing.

"Did you sleep well?" Godric asked, and took a sip from his bottle.

"Yeah, better than I had in a long time," I said, and looked at him. I had a million questions to ask him, and a millions things to tell him, or so it felt, but I didn't want to push him or run him off with my inane rambling, so I kept silent.

Godric glanced around the room, taking in the decor. I was secretly very happy I had added a few new, colourful touches that afternoon. "These pictures," he said, indicating the pictures on my wall with a small nod. "Did your father take these?"

"He did. I've got hundreds of pictures he took, and I picked my favourites and had them enlarged and framed."

The pictures on my walls were of various animals my dad had photographed for his job. A leopard lazing on a high branch in a tree. A herd of elephants at a watering hole. Three zebras staring into the camera with perked ears.

"They are nice. I have been to Africa many times," Godric said. "But I've never seen these animals in sunlight."

That made me smile until I realized what Godric had been thinking about sunlight, and I shifted on the couch so I could look at him.

"Will you tell me?" I asked, and I didn't have to explain further. Godric knew what I meant.

He studied the bottle in his hands, and took a brief sip. "I just do not know how to live in this world any longer."

"How so?" I asked, a little worriedly. At that moment I knew with certainty that I did not want this vampire to meet the sun. The world would be a much poorer place without him in it.

"We are now supposed to live alongside humans, but I am not sure if we can," he said as he looked at me. His expression was open, but his eyes showed an amount of desperation that made me gasp. "Vampires are violent and cruel. We hunt humans. Even with this," and he lifted his bottle of True Blood, "our behaviour will not change. And humans, they know this. This new church, the Fellowship of the Sun, it arose because we treat humans like cattle."

"Whoa," I said, waving a hand to cut him off. "That stupid church didn't arose because you hunt humans. It arose because the people who run it are haters."

Godric gave me a confused look.

"I mean, sure vampires have hurt humans, I'm not going to dispute that. But the Fellowship of the Sun exists because those people are haters. And they're hating on vampires right now, because you guys are convenient to hate. If you hadn't come out of the coffin, that church would still be there, but they'd be hating on someone else. Homosexuals, or pagans, or atheists."

Godric seemed to consider my words. "You believe this to be true?"

"I sure do," I said, with a little more force behind my words. "Even if you guys suddenly all turned into fluffy kittens, and never hurt another human for the rest of your existence, that church would still be hating you. That's what they do. They're professional haters."

When Godric didn't speak, I continued. "You should know how some people are. Just look at history. Look at how they used to burn or hang innocent women for being witches, or how they tortured anyone who wasn't a proper catholic during the inquisition."

Godric nodded. "But the people hanged as witches or tortured during the inquisition, they were innocents. I can hardly claim vampires to be innocent."

"So change your act," I said reasonably. "Stop hurting humans. Talk to them instead." After a second, I added, "Which is what you're already doing."

Godric glanced at me with an arched eyebrow.

"You're talking to me, right? There, that's the first step," I said with a giggle. "No, wait. The first step is admitting you have a problem, which you've already done. So you're well on your way." I patted his knee, and Godric chuckled.

I sobered up a little bit, and said softly, "You want to change yourself, then do that. But don't give up your entire existence because of some idiots with bibles. That would be a real waste."

"Perhaps," Godric said, a little ominously. "I just don't think like a vampire anymore."

"Maybe you should stop defining yourself by what you are, and start focussing on who you are."

That got me a response. Godric turned to me with a curious expression on his face, and he reached for my hand, brushing his thumb across my palm. "Those were wise words, my beautiful witch."

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks.

"I will consider them carefully. And in the meantime, continue my communications with my favourite human."

I smiled at that and looked into his eyes. "I think there are plenty of humans who would honestly like to communicate with vampires, try to work out the differences. You just have to find them."

"How would I do that?" Godric said. He hadn't stopped caressing my hand, and it was proving to be quite distracting.

"I don't know," I said, and thought about it. "Maybe you could write a book."

"A book?"

"Yeah," I said, warming to the idea. "Write about 2000 years of human history as seen through the eyes of a vampire. I'd read that. Heck, I'd come to the midnight book signing."

Godric laughed and gave my hand a squeeze.

"It would be a really good way to communicate with humans, though," I said, thinking that if Godric decided to write a book, at least he wouldn't be meeting the sun anytime soon.

"Yes, it might just be," Godric replied, and drained the last of the blood from his bottle. He put it down on the coffee table, and turned towards me on the couch. "I'm very happy that I've met you, Turid."

"Likewise," I said with a genuine smile. "You have been a big help for me. I never thought I'd ever be able to tell anyone about what happened to me. But then you found me." I frowned for a moment. "How did you find me, actually?"

"I was flying home from meeting with a few vampires when I spotted a lone figure sitting on top of a building. I was curious. As I drew closer, I noticed your expression, and well, that was all it took for me to decide to get to know you better."

"I'm glad you decided that," I said, and scooted a little closer to him, so the side of my body pressed against his. I noticed Godric's pupils dilating, even though his expression didn't change. Oh yeah, he was definitely interested.

We stared at each other, and I'm not sure who moved first, only that we met somewhere in the middle as our lips touched in a searing kiss. I parted my lips and felt his tongue slide against my own. There was a slight metallic tang from the blood, but underneath it I tasted nothing but Godric; wild and exciting and decidedly male.

Never breaking the kiss, I slid over to sit on his lap, my legs on either side of his. Cool hands stroked down my bare shoulders and settled on my back, rubbing small circles. I grabbed onto his shoulders, and pushed myself closer to him. As I pressed down on his lap, I felt something hard beneath me. It seemed like Godric wanted this as much as I did.

Godric pulled back as I gasped for breath. "May I?" he asked, as his hand tugged on the zipper of my dress.

I nodded, breathless, as he lowered the zipper. I leaned back, so he could pull down the top of my dress as I freed my arms. I was wearing a simple, white bra with a nice lacy trim, but Godric looked at it as if he'd just spotted his favourite meal. I was happy with my breasts; a natural C-cup, and very pleased that they seemed to excite Godric so much.

He hooked his fingers around the straps of my bra and pulled them down, so my breasts bulged over the fabric. At once, Godric attached his mouth to one of my hard nipples, and I arched my back as I buried my hands in his hair.

Oh, goodness, yes. This was what I wanted, what I _needed_. Godric sucked on my nipple, and nipped, making me gasp for breath. I tugged on his shirt; I wanted to see some skin, too.

Godric leaned back and quickly pulled his shirt over his head, leaving me to gape at the many tattoos on his torso. He caught my stare and grinned. "I will explain the meaning of these to you sometime, but now I have other plans," he said, and I smiled and then moaned as he caught my other nipple in his mouth.

I ran my hands up his bare arms and down his chest. His body definitely felt different than any other man or woman I'd been with. His skin was soft and cool, but it covered something hard. Something that could crush you or protect you, and that made it all the more exciting.

I rocked my hips so my core pressed against his erection, and Godric pulled away from my breasts and urged me to lie down on the couch. He slipped off my sandals, giving my feet a slow caress as he did, and then he pulled my dress down and off, taking my panties with it.

I was lying naked on my couch as Godric stared down at me with hooded eyes. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, and slid himself between my legs and up my body, so his face hovered over mine. He thrust his hips down against my centre, and I instantly regretted he was still wearing his pants.

Godric kissed me, and pressed his hips down again. I moaned. He trailed kissed down my cheek towards my neck, and right before he whispered, "I want so very much to taste you," I heard the click of his fangs.

And I couldn't stop the tiny sliver of fear that passed through my body.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Godric must have noticed my body stiffening because he pushed himself up so he could look down at my face.

"Forgive me, Turid," he said, and for a moment all I could stare at were his fangs. But as soon as I noticed the rest of him, I saw his expression, and it was one of pure anguish. My heart broke.

I wanted Godric. I _needed_ Godric, with every fibre of my being. And as much as I had insisted earlier that he should focus on who he was instead of what he was, there was no denying that Godric _was_ a vampire.

And vampires came with fangs. And the desire to drink blood.

Godric looked away and pushed himself up further. "I am not sure I can do this without tasting your blood. It has been too long since - "

"No," I said, and cupped my hands around the back of Godric's neck and forced him to look down at me. "You don't have to make excuses. It's all right. I know what you are, and I'm okay with that."

And the emphasize my point, I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his left fang, brushing his lips in the process. And then his right fang, and it nicked my bottom lip. The scent of a drop of my blood blossoming on my lips must have hit Godric's senses, because at once he captured my mouth in a scorching kiss. I fell back down against the couch, and pulled Godric down with me.

"Are you sure?" Godric whispered against my mouth. "Because once I start, I do not think I will be able to stop."

"Yes," I sighed, embracing him. I ran my hands down his back, revelling in the feeling of his smooth, cool skin against my palms. "I want this...with you. All of it."

Godric growled - he actually _growled_ - and attacked my mouth once more, his hands stroking their way down my body, pausing briefly at my breasts before resting on my hips. Godric pushed himself up faster than I could see, so that one second he was hovering over me and the next he was kneeling between my spread legs.

"Then I will taste all of you," he whispered.

Oh.

_Oh._

I quickly angled one leg over the back of my couch, and let the other leg fall to the floor, giving Godric all the room he needed. He stared down at my sex with an unreadable expression on his face, and then dragged his thumb across my folds.

"Everything about you is beautiful," he said, and I think I blushed all the way down to my toes.

With one last glance at my face, Godric spread my folds wide open and lowered his head between my legs. His tongue was cool, yet it burned me when it touched my swollen nub.

I bucked my hips up quite involuntarily, and let out a strangled groan.

Chuckling, Godric dragged his tongue up and down my sex, swirling it around my clit with every upstroke, and dipping it inside my body every time he moved down.

This wasn't going to take long, I realized, through a fog of arousal and building tension in my limbs.

And then he slid two fingers inside me, and that was all it took. I arched my back as my orgasm overtook me, and vaguely registered a slight pain in my thigh, but it was quickly drowned by the pleasure that burst through me in flickers on white, blinding light.

I thrashed against the couch, and Godric's iron grip on my hips was the only thing keeping me from bucking us both onto the floor.

When finally the tremors subsided and I managed to inhale a deep breath, I noticed Godric licking the inside of my thigh. I looked down curiously, and saw Godric licking two small puncture wounds, his tongue flicking across them with care.

He _had_ bit me, and tasted my blood.

Well...the world hadn't ended. No deity had struck me down. And if I had to be honest with myself, if this was how a vampire like Godric fed, he could suck my blood anytime.

I smiled at that thought, just as Godric looked up at me with a grin. His fangs were still down, but I didn't care one whiff. Not after the kind of pleasure he'd just given me.

"You are delicious in every possible way," Godric said, and crawled up my body so he could press a soft kiss against my mouth.

"Ugh," I said, since I wasn't yet at the stage where my mouth could form actual words.

"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, dragging his lips down to my neck, where he nipped the sensitive skin just below my earlobe.

"Yeah," I groaned, and my body jerked beneath him. As my hips pressed against him, I noticed that he was still hard. I swallowed, wetting my lips with my tongue, and managed to whisper, "I want all of you, Godric."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Godric said, with a teasing smile. He stared down at me, mirth evident in his eyes. "But I suggest we retire to your bedroom for the next part."

I nodded mutely, and before I could voice my consent Godric was off the couch and scooped me up in his arms. He carried my bridal-style, and with a tad of vampire-speed he reached my bedroom. I was happy I'd put fresh sheets on the bed that afternoon as Godric eased me down.

He hovered over me and seemed to be waiting for me to make a move. I blindly grasped for his pants and gave them a tug.

"These have to come off," I whispered.

"Now?" he whispered back with a mischievous grin.

"No, next week," I replied in my driest voice, and Godric laughed before he kneeled back and made quick work of the button and zipper. That gave me an opportunity to admire the view.

Godric wasn't what one would call muscled, but he was certainly toned, and when he shoved his pants down and off, I was pleased to see he was not lacking in that department, either. He was neither too big or too small, but certainly very hard and ready.

I grabbed hold of his arm and tugged him closer, hooking a leg around his thighs.

"Go easy," I said with a anticipatory moan. "It's been a while."

Now it was Godric's turn to give an incoherent grunt as he positioned himself and pushed against my folds. I was dripping wet and my body guided him right to my centre and he pushed in inch by inch.

"Ah, yeah," I moaned, wrapping my arms around his back and squeezing both legs around him. When he was all the way inside, he raised his head slightly and looked down at me in wonder.

"You are so hot, so _alive_," he said, and I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just bucked my hips up, urging him to move in the only way I could.

Godric pulled out slowly and thrust back in with a little more force, causing me to groan and dig my nails into his back. Again, he thrust, harder still.

Burying his face into the crook of my neck, Godric grunted. "Tell me if I become to rough," he said, but his words barely registered.

I'm not sure if he used vampire speed or not, but I was too far gone to care. His body was merciless, driving in and out of me, and all I could do was scream _more_, and _faster_, and _harder_.

He was angled perfectly inside me, and my pleasure built and built until finally I came with a cry, my body shuddering beneath him. Godric kissed my mouth and my cheek and my neck, never ceasing his assault inside of me, prolonging my climax until I was sure I'd melt from the sheer heat of it all.

And then his body stiffened, and he shouted something incoherent right before he sank his fangs into my neck and sucked. It only caused me more tremors of pure pleasure until finally I was panting so hard I never thought I'd ever catch my breath again.

Godric was completely still on top of me, contently lapping at my neck.

"Oh my goodness," I managed to say in between deep breaths. "We have to do that again."

And at once, Godric started thrusting his hips, and I squealed and burst into giggles. Godric ceased his movements, raised his head and looked down at me with a shit-eating grin, which made him look like the boy he'd been when one life had ended and the other began.

"But you said you wanted to do it again," he said innocently.

I snorted. "Not immediately." And then I added, "You can have ten minutes to recuperate."

Godric laughed and eased himself out of me. He rolled over and pulled me with him so I was lying on top of his chest. I released a happy sigh and stroked my hand absently down his arm.

"I really needed that," I said, smiling up at him.

"As did I," Godric replied and gave me a curious look. "You said it had been a while for you?"

I blinked. "Well, it's been about...two years or so since I last was with a guy."

"Ah." Godric frowned. "It's been much longer for me."

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.

"It's been over a decade since I've been with anyone," Godric said, unconcerned.

"A decade?" I squeaked. He hadn't had sex in over _ten years_? "But why? Surely there are enough people who'd be interested in you?"

"I suppose," Godric said with a curious tilt of his head. "But I am not interested in people who only want to have sex with me because I am a vampire." He stared at me. "You didn't want to have sex with me because I am a vampire, did you?"

"No!" I said, leaning up so I could look him square in the eye. "If anything, the whole vampire thing was a bit of a turn-off at first."

"Exactly," Godric said with a happy smile. "So it must be for another reason that you are lying in my arms right now."

I grinned and buried my face against his chest. "So was the witch thing a bit of a turn off for you?"

Godric snorted. "Show me a vampire who is not wary of a witch," he said as I glanced up at him. "But I find I am not wary of you. Not anymore."

I was surprised he'd been wary of me at all, apparently. He'd hidden that well.

"I guess we've both overcome some prejudices, then," I said, and Godric laughed, stroking his hand down my back.

"That we have."

"So could you taste it in my blood?" I asked, unable to ignore my curiosity. "Magic?"

Godric nodded. "Yes, you taste of much power. Very sweet."

I was very pleased with that response, until something dawned on me. I looked at him a little worriedly. "Could you taste...you know...the darkness?"

"Yes," Godric said, and I bolted upright, feeling panic grip my heart. Godric followed me up and cupped my cheeks, forcing me to look in his eyes.

"I tasted a darker power, that is all. It is not a bad taste at all, for a vampire."

I let out a humourless laugh. "Great, now I taste of demon." My eyes welled up at the implication of that.

"Turid," Godric said patiently. "You cannot change this. It is a part of you now."

"But I don't want it," I said stubbornly. A tear escaped down my cheek, and Godric leaned in and licked it away.

"But you have it. Why worry about something you cannot change?"

If only things were that simple. "Because it cost me everything."

Godric sighed. "Did you summon this demon?"

"No!" I yelled, appalled.

"Then you have done nothing wrong."

I gasped in outrage. "I should have stopped her!"

Godric shook his head. "It is not your responsibility - "

"I should have stopped her, but I didn't, because I was too high on V. I took vampire blood, Godric. You should hate me just for that," I said, voicing a concern I'd had ever since my first confession.

"You made a mistake," Godric insisted. When I kept shaking my head, he added, "Have you taken V since that night?"

"Of course not," I said, trying not to feel insulted even at his question. "I haven't taken anything since that night. I haven't even had a drink. Heck, I even quit smoking."

Godric smiled. "There. Then you made one mistake, and yes, it cost you dearly, but I would not see you beat yourself up over it. You are too precious to me."

I had no clue what to say to that, so I sagged against him. I was feeling drained, both physically and emotionally. Godric eased us back down on the bed and stroked a soothing hand down my back. I sighed against his chest and closed my eyes.

"Tell me something," I whispered.

"What would you like me to tell you?"

"Anything. Tell me about you. How old were you when you were turned?"

Godric was silent for a moment, so I glanced up at him to see him frowning.

"I am not sure. We didn't count human years back then as you do now. I think I was seventeen or eighteen. Or perhaps even nineteen."

"Was it - " I closed my mouth, wondering if my question was too impolite.

"You may ask me anything," Godric said with a reassuring squeeze of his hand to my shoulder.

"Was it consensual? You know, the turning?"

"Yes," Godric said. "I was mortally wounded in battle. A neighbouring tribe had invaded our town, and as I was lying on the battle field waiting for death, a man I'd never seen before approached me and asked if I wanted a new life. I accepted."

"Have you ever regretted it?"

"No," Godric said with certainty. "I have had a long life, seen the whole world, and I have even repaid the favour once."

I looked at him questioningly.

"Many years after I was turned, I was travelling through Scandinavia when I came across a large battle. One Norseman stood out to me in his fierceness in battle. Right before dawn he was wounded, and when I tracked him down the next night he lay dieing on a pyre his men had built for him. I offered him the same choice my maker had offered me."

"Did he accept?" I asked, fascinated with Godric's past.

"He did," Godric said with a satisfied smile. "We travelled together for many centuries."

"Is he still around?" I asked.

"He is. We still see each other every few decades or so."

I smiled at that. "I guess every few decades for a vampire is like every Thanksgiving in human years."

Godric laughed and I grinned at him. "I suppose it is. Not all makers and their children remain close, but I have always had a close bond with my child."

"How about your maker? Is he still around?"

Godric's expression grew blank. "No. He was killed in the fairy war a few centuries ago."

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Do you miss him?"

"In a way," Godric said, glancing down at me. "He was a good maker."

I sighed, my thoughts on my own family, or lack thereof.

"Do you still miss your father?" Godric asked me.

"Every day," I said honestly. "I think perhaps that's why I became so...so unhinged. After my Dad died I realized I had no one left in this world, that I was all alone. I had friends, sure, but friends come and go."

"And family is forever," Godric said, and I nodded against his chest, not knowing what to add to that.

"Thank you for telling me about your past."

"You are most welcome, but now you should rest," Godric said, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Will you allow me to visit with you tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'd love you to," I said, suppressing a yawn.

"Then I will be here ten minutes after sunset." Godric pulled me a little closer. "Sleep now, my beautiful witch, and dream of good things."

And with that I closed my eyes and drifted off. I did dream of good things; Godric's eyes and Godric's smile and his body moving rhythmically against my own.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

I woke up the next day slightly before noon and the first thing I did was smile at the memories of the night before. I rolled over and buried my head in the pillow beside my own. I inhaled and smelled the distinct musky scent of Godric.

Boy, I had it bad.

When I stepped out of the shower, I looked in the mirror and noticed the two tell-tale wounds on the side of my neck. They looked healed, at least a few days old, and I wondered if Godric had somehow healed them with his licking. I'd have to ask him.

What surprised me the most was that I didn't mind those wounds being there. They were a reminder of my new relationship, of Godric claiming me, and I didn't care what anyone would think of that.

I skipped my classes again. School just didn't seem all that important anymore, and even though I knew I'd have to think about my future plans long and hard sometime soon, I didn't want to do it that day.

I wondered if Godric would send me flowers or something. He hadn't left me a note (I'd looked quite thoroughly for one), but then I remembered that Godric hadn't even had sex in a decade before last night, and that he was probably clueless about human dating etiquette.

But I didn't mind. All I had to do was touch the little marks on my neck to know that Godric wanted me.

I went about my day much the same as the day before. I got some groceries, stopped by the library to pick up something to read, and made a brief visit to the mall to treat myself to a new dress and some sexy lingerie. I also picked up some more AB-negative True Blood, figuring that was Godric's favourite.

I cooked a tasty meal for myself, cleaned up the mess that invariably followed such an endeavour, and then dressed myself with care.

My new lingerie was black and lacy, and my new dress was a deep, royal blue with silver-coloured stitching along the edges. I added some make-up, and even painted my fingernails with an ivory nail polish.

I was feeling more feminine than I had in a long time.

And right before sunset I was ready, and spent the rest of the time on the couch, reading the latest Nora Roberts.

A few minutes after sunset my doorbell rang. That was quick. Then again, I didn't know where Godric lived, and he was able to fly very fast.

I opened the door with a smile on my face, but it died at once when I realized it wasn't Godric standing on my doorstep.

Two men in suits stood there. One older and balding, and the other younger with caramel skin and piercing green eyes.

"Turid Black?" the younger one asked as he held out a badge. I didn't look at it, but nodded at him.

"Federal agent Jones," the younger one said, and then gestured at his colleague. "And this is federal agent Hawthorne. May we come in?"

"What's this about?" I asked, my heart racing a mile a minute.

"We would like to ask you some questions about the disappearance of Eliza Perwinkel."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

My breath was knocked out of me, as though something had slammed down on my chest. I wavered on my feet, and Agent Jones stepped forward to take a hold of my elbow.

"Miss? You okay?"

All I could do was stare at him. The FBI was here? Were they going to arrest me? Would I be charged with murder? Would I end up in prison for the rest of my life?

Thankfully, whatever survival instincts I had kicked in, and instead of blurting out something I shouldn't, I took a deep breath, and said, "Eliza is missing? And you're the FBI? What? How?"

"Let's go inside," Agent Hawthorne said in a gruff voice. Agent Jones steered me towards the couch, but before he could manoeuvre me onto it, I stepped back from him.

"Can I get you gentlemen something to drink?" I asked, as politely as I could.

"We're fine, thanks," Agent Jones said, as his colleague looked around my living room with interest.

"Do you mind if I get something?" I asked in my best damsel in distress voice. I really needed a minute to compose myself, to think of things to say and not to say.

"Sure." Agent Jones gave me a nod, and I grabbed my half-empty glass of sweet tea and hurried to the kitchen.

When I opened the fridge I was shaking so hard I had to grab hold of the pitcher of sweet tea with both hands, lest I drop it.

What was the fucking FBI doing here? How did they know I was here? How did they know I had a connection with Eliza?

I wrecked my brain for any possible answer, until realization dawned on me.

There was someone who knew all these things about me.

No.

_No_.

Godric.

I physically recoiled from that thought. Had Godric betrayed me? Had he called the FBI on me? Ice settled in my chest right around my heart, and tears slipped down my cheeks.

But why? Had he changed his mind about me? Was it about the V? I knew vampires hated people who took V, and Godric had seemed awfully calm about it when I told him. Was this payback?

I bit back a rueful laugh. Who was I kidding? Godric was a _vampire_. He didn't need a reason to fuck me over. He'd said so himself, hadn't he? Vampires were cruel. That was their nature.

He'd probably gotten what he wanted from me - a feed and a fuck - and this was the easiest way to get rid of me.

I glanced at the clock on my microwave. It was fifteen minutes past sundown, and as my entire body went numb I realized Godric wasn't coming. I wanted to drop to the floor and cry for several weeks, but I knew I had to face the Feds. So I reached for whatever reserves of energy and common sense I had, mentally buckled up, and headed back to the living room.

"I'm sorry," I told the gentlemen, who'd settled on my couch. I waved a hand as if to cool myself down, and lowered myself onto my little loveseat. "It's just...Eliza is missing and the FBI is looking for her? It's such a shock. Please tell me what happened?"

I figured if I could get them to talk first, I'd know what sort of story to make up that would match whatever facts they had.

But sadly, both men stayed silent for a few more moments. I followed their gazes as they swept across me and my surroundings. They took in the cage in the corner of the room, where Herbert was peeking out from under his hidey hole, they looked at some of the books in my bookcase - I had a lot of books on paganism and Wicca - they seemed awfully interested in my coasters which sat in the middle of my coffee table - they had pentacles on them, and had been a birthday gift from a friend who knew I was Wiccan - and finally their eyes settled on my neck, where I knew they saw the mark Godric had left there.

Great. In all their federal ignorance, they now probably thought I was some satanic fangbanger.

"Why don't we ask you a few questions first," Agent Jones said in a most reasonable voice. I wasn't buying any of it.

"Sure," I said, as helpfully as I could.

"When was the last time you saw Eliza Perwinkel?"

Lying ripped to pieces in the desert after she'd summoned a demon while she was high on V. Goodness, I hoped I hadn't said that out loud. I shook myself. I knew, from watching many crime shows on TV, that I had to stick as close to the truth as I could. Lies were always uncovered. _Always_.

"Er...she came over the night before I left California," I said, hoping to sound a bit clueless. "To say goodbye."

Agent Hawthorne nodded, but Agent Jones kept gazing at me. "Why did you leave California so suddenly?" he asked.

Well, _crap_.

How was I going to explain that? It would seem suspicious - picking up everything and moving to another state in the middle of a semester - no matter what I told them.

For a brief moment I considered casting a spell on them to knock them out cold - I had already examined their auras and was convinced they were both just plain humans - but I quickly dismissed that. What was I going to do with two unconscious FBI agents?

Another option was magical mind-control. I had practiced it and was even reasonably good at. I faintly recalled a memorable evening at a frat party where Eliza and me had spent practicing this new power last year. But I knew that wasn't an option, either. I could only control one human at the time, and needed intense eye contact and perhaps even a physical touch to manage it. And if these Feds thought something was up, there was no telling what they'd do.

Just as I opened my mouth to make up some story about a vague boyfriend who'd become a bit too stalkerish for my liking and therefore had driven me out of the state, the doorbell rang.

I shot up and all but ran towards the front door.

"Expecting company?" Agent Jones inquired.

"Yes," I snapped, and yanked the door open.

Godric gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I'm - "

I didn't let him finish, and just threw myself into his arms. Oh, thank goodness. He hadn't betrayed me. He was there for me. With him by my side I might just be able to make it through this night without getting arrested.

Strong arms encircled me, and I released a breath that seemed to bubble up all the way from my feet. "What's wrong?" Godric asked.

I pulled back to give him a significant look. "These gentlemen are FBI agents, and they're here to ask me questions about a friend of mine who's disappeared in California."

Godric's eyes narrowed and he looked steadily at the gentlemen on my couch. He kept an arm wrapped around my waist, closed the door behind us, and guided me towards the loveseat, where I sat down beside him as close as I could without crawling onto his lap.

"This is Agent Jones and Agent Hawthorne," I said, waving at the Feds. "And this is Godric. My...boyfriend."

Both agents gaped at Godric for a minute or so, until finally Agent Jones seemed to remember he had balls and asked, "Are you a vampire, sir?"

"Indeed I am," Godric said with a serene smile.

Agent Jones shifted on the couch as though his pants were suddenly too tight, and Agent Hawthorne tried to inconspicuously pat his side, probably checking if he hadn't forgotten to bring his gun.

Great.

"Right." Agent Jones cleared his throat. "Miss Black, why did you leave California right after you'd last spoken with Miss Perwinkel?"

I swallowed and glanced at Godric for a moment. But before I could say anything, a rush of power swept around the room. No, strike that. A wave of power crashed through the air, but I quickly realized it wasn't aimed at me.

Godric was putting the whammy on the Feds. Both agents seemed none the wiser and looked at us both inquisitively.

"Turid moved here to be with me," Godric said in a monotone voice, his expression carefully blank. "We met in California when I visited some friends there, and we quickly established a relationship, and decided we did not want to be apart any longer. "

Both agents nodded their approval of that reply, and I sagged against Godric in relief.

"Why don't you tell us why you are here?" Godric asked. "Why is the FBI interested in a local girl gone missing?"

Good question.

"Fourteen girls have gone missing across California and Nevada," Agent Jones replied, none the wiser that his mind was being influenced by a vampire. "Three of them have turned up dead; stabbed, strangled and raped."

I gasped and looked at Godric in shock. There was a serial killer on the loose in California and the Feds thought Eliza was one of his victims?

I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or cry at that information.

"Miss Black was reported missing as well," Agent Jones continued. "But we can see now that she's still alive."

I wondered who had reported me missing. It might have been any of my other friends. I hadn't contacted any of them after I left the state. I'd only contacted my landlord and utility companies, and I'd had my mail forwarded.

That's probably how the Feds found me, I realized with a sigh. And here I thought Godric had betrayed me. I was ashamed I'd ever thought that now that my vampire was sitting beside me, controlling the situation as best he could.

"As you can see, Turid is fine. She is in no way involved in this case," Godric said, and as if on cue, both agents nodded. "Now please show us what is in this file you brought."

For the first time I noticed a manila folder lying on the coffee table in front of Agent Hawthorne. He reached for it, and obediently handed it to Godric, who pulled it into his lap and opened it.

Pictures fell out, many pictures of young women, all stapled to sheets of paper. Missing person reports, as it seemed. We both looked over the pictures one by one, and Godric gave me a curious look.

"Do you know any of them?" he asked me, and I shook my head.

"No. Only Eliza." I pointed at her picture as we came across it. Her driver licence picture, I thought. She stared at us with her chocolate eyes, her long, ebony hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves.

"She's very pretty," Godric whispered, and gave my thigh a gentle squeeze before he closed the folder and placed it on the table.

And all the while, the agents sat on the couch and looked at Godric, as if awaiting his next command. He still had them under his control, even as we'd been focussing on the file. He didn't even need eye contact to completely glamour two humans. I knew power came with age for vampires, but I'd never seen anything like this.

It was _awesome_.

Godric's power was a gentle prickle against my skin, as if I was walking through tall grass. But it never pierced my own aura. Godric had complete control of his powers, and he had no desire to influence me. It made me feel safe in a way I'd never felt before.

"We do not know any of these other woman," Godric said resolutely. "Turid has had no contact with Eliza since the day she left California. They had a slight argument, as Eliza did not approve of vampire-human relationships. Turid has not attempted to contact Eliza since that night. There is no need for you to look into this case any further concerning Turid."

Both men obediently nodded, and then Godric added, almost as an afterthought, "I hope you find the killer who is killing these poor women. But you will not find any leads here. You may go."

Agent Jones and Agent Hawthorne stood, the latter scooped up the file, and they were out the door before I could blink.

The moment the door closed, I turned towards Godric and pressed my face against his shoulder. "Fucking hell," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut.

"It is over now. They will not bother you again," Godric said, one hand pressed tightly to the back of my head, the other caressing down my back. "Why didn't you call me? I had some matters to attend, but none were so urgent I couldn't have come to you sooner."

"Huh?"

"You should have called me at once when those agents arrived here."

I smiled and pulled away so I could look Godric in the eye. "I might have called you, if I had your phone number."

Godric's eyes widened almost comically, and then he dropped his head. "I never - Turid, forgive me. I seem to be asking that a lot of you. I have not been in any kind of relationship in a very long time, and I am completely remiss in my treatment of you."

Was he babbling? See here, a 2000 year old vampire babbling because he forgot to give me his phone number. I stroked his cheek so he would look up at me again.

"It's okay, really. We've not even known each other for 48 hours."

"You are too kind," Godric said, and gave me a lingering kiss. It made my toes curl. "Now please, give me your phone so I can make amends."

I got up to retrieve my purse from its usual spot on the side table by the door, rummaged around in it until I found my phone, and handed it to Godric, who immediately started punching in some numbers. I sank back down on the loveseat beside him, and took a couple of large gulps from my sweet tea, some of the tension finally leaving my body.

"I am also adding the phone number of Isabel," Godric said, and at my curious look he added, "She is...a good friend of mine."

Hm. Godric had a female 'good friend'? I wasn't sure what to make of that. Something must have shown on my face, because Godric chuckled and explained, "Isabel is also in a relationship with a human, and her human is a lawyer. If you ever need assistance and I cannot be reached, you must call her."

"Okay, thanks," I replied, slightly abashed. Then I considered his words, and I didn't know which made me happier; the fact that Isabel was in a relationship with someone else, or the fact that Godric's words had implied he thought the two of us were in a relationship. So I guess I really was more than just a feed and a fuck.

And then I felt ashamed that I'd so easily thought Godric has betrayed me earlier that evening. Perhaps not all prejudices had been overcome yet.

Godric handed me back my phone. "Do you have a piece of paper?"

I pulled a small notebook and a pen from my purse, and Godric immediately started scribbling something down.

"I'm giving you the address of one of my safe houses. I do not spend many days there, but it is a secure location. If you ever need a safe place to go, you can go to this address. There is a spare key under the statue of a lion beside the front door."

I didn't know what to say. I accepted the piece of paper with the address (and noted that Godric's handwriting was small but very neat), and stuffed it in my wallet.

"Godric," I said, overwhelmed by his attentions. "I don't know how to thank you. If you hadn't been here tonight - "

I closed my mouth when the truth hit me. If I hadn't met Godric two night before, the arrival of the FBI on my doorstep would have been the straw for me. I was one hundred percent sure I'd have jumped to my death if I'd have had to deal with the Feds on my own.

Godric cupped my cheeks. "Look at me," he commanded. I did, but I couldn't see his face clearly. My eyes were blurred with tears. "I _am_ here. You are not alone. If there is a problem, any problem from now on, you _will_ tell me, and I _will_ help you. Understood?"

I nodded, too choked too speak, and I curled against him, my eyes closed. I softly inhaled his scent, and sighed when Godric rubbed my arms and kissed my forehead.

"Are you sure they won't be coming back?" I asked after a while.

"Yes. They are now convinced of the story we told them."

"Were you really in California like you said?"

"I was in California briefly last November," Godric said with a chuckle. "There is even a paper trail because I stayed in a hotel and paid with my credit card. It should be enough to give our story some semblance of truth if anyone thought to look."

"Good," I sighed. I tried to relax completely, but I couldn't stop thinking about every detail of that evening's federal encounter. I trusted Godric's glamouring skills, but the thought of having the FBI investigating me was such a scary one that I wasn't sure if the glamouring of two agents was enough.

"But someone else could still look into this case, couldn't they?" I asked, voicing my worries.

"Hm?" Godric looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"Well, these two agents are now convinced of my innocence, thanks to your mad skills, but what if their superior goes through the files or something?"

Godric frowned and didn't move an inch. He appeared deep in thought, and after a few minutes I shifted against him restlessly. That seemed to snap him back to attention.

"Turid, there is something we must discuss," he said, staring at me with piercing eyes. I swallowed. I'd never seen him look quite so serious before.

"What?" I asked with apprehension.

"I want you to take some of my blood."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I jumped out of Godric's embrace and off the couch. "Are you nuts?" I yelled, as I slowly backed away from him. "In case you forgot, the last time I was high on vampire blood, it got real messy real fast."

Godric rose slowly to his feet and narrowed his eyes to slits. "You think I would give you my blood just so you could get high?" he asked in a steely voice. Suddenly he was all vampire, and whatever shred of humanity he had left was gone.

I gulped.

"A vampire of my age never offers their blood lightly," he snarled, stalking towards me. I inhaled a shuddering breath and desperately tried to remember a spell - _any_ spell - that could harm a vampire as powerful as Godric.

Godric sniffed the air, and something caught his attention. He closed his eyes and composed himself, his shoulders righting themselves from their previously hunched position.

_My fear_, I realized. He'd smelled my fear. I was standing pressed against the wall and must have looked like a petrified rabbit. It was a testament to Godric's control and his regard of me, that the scent of my fear had snapped him out of it, instead of provoking an attack.

"I am offering you my blood so a connection will form between us, so I may feel you and know if you should ever find yourself in danger," he said, his eyes still closed, his nostrils twitching.

"Oh." I had no clue what else to say. A connection? What connection? All I knew of vampire blood was that a human could get high from it, and that it held some healing properties; there were plenty of healing potions that required vampire blood as an ingredient, but for obvious reasons most witches never bothered with them. It was hard to come by vampire blood in any legal way, or in any way that didn't make vampires want to kill you on sight.

"What kind of connection?" I finally managed to ask. Godric opened his eyes, regarded me with a tilt of his head, and then stepped up to me and pulled me into his arms. And just like that, he was _my_ Godric again, the vampire - the man - who'd stood by me in the last two days, who'd shared his troubles with me, who'd protected me from the federal government.

I returned the embrace, my legs wobbly from the tension that left my body in a rush.

"Come," Godric said, leading me back to the couch with a steady hand. "I will explain."

We sank down onto the couch, and Godric grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "When a vampire shares his blood directly with a human, a magical connection is formed. It allows the vampire to sense the human's emotions, and thus, if the human were ever in pain or distress, the vampire will know and can act accordingly."

"Ah," I said with a nod. "I didn't know that."

"It isn't something we want the world to know about," Godric said with a smile, and I returned it. "Such a connection would also allow me to find you."

"Like tracking me down?"

"Yes."

I thought about that for a while. Having a vampire protector who could sense your emotions might be a good thing. Then again, if things ever got ugly between us, having a vampire who could track you down might be a very bad thing.

"It has been many centuries since I have offered my blood to a human," Godric said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Which is why ..." he trailed off, as if unsure how to explain what had just happened.

"Yeah," I said. "We could have handled that better. Let's just chalk it up to a vampire-human miscommunication."

Godric chuckled. "Yes, something like that."

"Is it permanent?" I asked. "This connection?"

"Not at first. Though my blood is powerful, and thus the connection will last for a long time, it will not become permanent unless we exchange blood several times."

I studied his aura, and even though vampire auras are much harder to read than human ones, I couldn't see any indication that he was lying. "Any other side-effects?" I asked, knowing full well it was always something you wanted to know when meddling with unknown magic, especially something as potentially dangerous as magical vampire connections.

Godric grinned. "You might start to feel sexually attracted to me."

I snorted with laughter. "Yeah, that's gonna be a real problem."

"Please consider this," Godric asked, suddenly serious again. "Tonight's events have made me realize that if someone were to come for you during the day and take you, I would not be able to protect you, and I might not even be able to find you without my blood inside of you."

"I'm not exactly helpless, you know," I said, my pride a little hurt.

"I know," Godric said quickly. "You faced a demon and lived."

That sent a shiver down my spine and I pulled back from Godric. "I will think about it. Can I get you some blood? I got some more AB-negative blood for you."

"Yes, thank you," Godric said, apparently understanding I needed a moment to take all this new information in.

I gave his knee a soft squeeze and got up from the couch, heading towards the kitchen. I plopped a bottle of blood into the microwave, got myself a refill, and leaned against the counter, sipping sweet tea.

I tried to make sense of all the thoughts swirling through my head. Godric was a vampire, and my entire life I had been warned about vampires. I'd known about them long before they ever came out of the coffin; my Dad had given me a very thorough education on all manner of magical creatures. All I'd ever heard about vampires was that they were unnatural, that they were heartless predators who hunted humans, used and discarded them, and even killed them whenever the mood struck.

And then there was the Godric I knew. The Godric who'd listened patiently to my horrible memories, who'd shared his own insecurities with me, who'd defied the federal government for me, and who now offered me his protection.

I inhaled a deep breath. It wasn't until I met Godric that I realized how lonely I'd been, how having to keep such a dark secret had eaten away at me, had clouded my judgement and even had crumpled my soul. I know with certainty that I could never share my darkest secrets with other humans. Plain old humans wouldn't understand, and other witches would reject me, despise the demon powers inside me, and probably even see me destroyed for fear of what might happen if I ever decided to use those new powers.

But Godric didn't care. It didn't repulse him, that I'd been tainted by a demon.

He accepted me for who and what I was. And now he offered his blood to me, offered to form a magical connection with little old me. I would no longer be alone. I would have someone to watch my back, to support me if I needed it, to protect me if someone ever tried to harm me.

He was offering me more than anyone had ever offered me.

The microwave beeped, and I collected the bottled blood and made my way back to the living room.

"Thank you," Godric said, accepting the bottle as I sat down beside him. He took a long swallow, and then he looked me over, head to toes. "Are you wearing a new dress?"

I nodded, sniggering. I'd completely forgotten I'd dressed up for him.

"It complements your natural beauty perfectly," Godric said with a smile that held a promise of pleasure.

Oooh. Suave. I gave him my best seductive look, narrowing my eyes as I licked my bottom lip. "Just wait until you see what's underneath it."

Godric's pupils dilated. Gotcha!

"Will you show me?" he breathed, his eyes scanning over my body again.

"If you're good," I said, striking a coy pose as I sipped my drink.

Godric shifted closer so he could brush his lips across my ear. "I can be _very_ good," he breathed. He licked my earlobe, and when I heard the click of his fangs popping down I shuddered, but not in a bad way.

Heat throbbed in my lower body, and I quickly put my glass down and turned to face Godric, but I didn't get very far, because Godric crushed his lips against mine and pushed me back against the couch.

Our kiss was rushed, and at some point I sliced my tongue on his fangs, but it didn't hurt much. It did make Godric more frantic, and he reached behind my back and pulled the zipper of my dress down. He wasted no time and I wriggled my arms free as he lowered the top of my dress so my bra was exposed.

The look on his face as he took in my breasts covered in black lace made me rub my hips against his. It was amazing that now that I knew the touch of his body I needed him even more.

Godric mouthed at my breasts through the lace, and I threw my head back, releasing a tight groan.

"Please," I moaned. I'd never needed anything as bad as I needed this, I was sure of it. "Please, now."

Godric pushed up the skirt of my dress, so it was bunched around my waist, and yanked my panties off. At some point he'd lowered his pants far enough, and as he gripped my hips he entered me in one thrust.

I was ready for him, wetter than I'd ever been, and I met his thrust and pulled him down on top of me, his weight nearly crushing me. He drove into me again and again, and I made a keening noise and only wanted him to move harder and _harder_.

"The things you do to me, little witch," Godric growled into my ear, his fangs nicking the skin just below. "Have you put a spell on me? Is that why I crave your body and your blood the way I do?"

His words had me reeling, and I could only groan in response. His thrusts picked up speed, if that was even possible, and the couch creaked beneath us in protest, but I didn't care. The whole Federal Bureau of Investigation could have come crashing through the door, and I wouldn't have cared.

I'd heard sex with a vampire could be amazing, but this was far beyond what I'd ever imagined it would be. My body was no longer my own, I was completely at his mercy, and it made me feel strong and powerful and _free_ in a way I'd never felt before.

Godric lowered his head and sank his fangs into my breast right through the black lace. He sucked a mouthful of blood, and I grabbed the back of his head and pressed his mouth to my breast. I wanted him to drink me, to take me, to do whatever he had to do to make me his.

He drank more blood, his hips slamming against my own, and then he pulled back and stared down at me with blazing eyes, his lips smeared with my blood.

"Bite me." It almost sounded like a snarl. "You are mine. Bite me!"

And the moment he lowered his face close to mine and I bit down on his neck as hard as I could, and sweet, _sweet_ blood flooded my tongue, and I swallowed as much as Godric let me.

I exploded into the strongest waves of pleasure I'd ever felt as Godric wrapped his arm around me and crushed me to his chest, his body pumping once, twice, and then...darkness.

When I woke up I was lying naked in my bed under the soft sheets, a hard body wrapped around my own. It took me a minute to blink my eyes open, and the room swam before me in swirling and bright colours.

Cool lips pressed a kiss against my mouth, and then another. I managed to focus my eyes a bit better, and I saw Godric staring down at me with a most satisfied smile on his face.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

I licked my dry lips, and swallowed. I tasted blood.

"Here," Godric said, leaning over to the night stand to pick up my glass of sweet tea. He helped me sit up a bit and brought it to my lips. I took a few large gulps before he replaced the glass on the nightstand.

"You are mine now," he said, and pressed another kiss to my lips.

"Huh?"

"You belong to me now. No one will ever be able to take you away from me."

My mind reeled at that thought. Part of me was thrilled that Godric was so possessive of me, sure, but some of my human sensibilities balked at his statement of possession.

I cleared my throat. "Maybe you missed the memo, but slavery was abolished a while ago in this country."

Godric looked as if he wasn't sure whether to laugh or snarl. "You are no slave, Turid."

"Good. Just checking."

Sighing, Godric rolled onto his back and pulled me with him. I positioned myself against his hard chest and stared up at him. "What I mean when I say you are mine is, that no other vampire can have you."

"Ah."

"If another vampire tried to feed from you, or tried to glamour you, they would be punished."

And just when I thought my life couldn't get any weirder, I now belonged to a vampire, apparently. "I can resist vampire glamour," I said, a little defensively.

"I know. You even resisted mine the first night we met," Godric said with an amused smile. "This is good. It will make it impossible for another vampire to try to steal you away from me."

Absently I thought that perhaps this was one of the most surreal conversations I'd ever had in my life.

"Have you always been able to resist vampire glamour?"

I shrugged. It was an awkward gesture, seeing I was lying down against his chest. "Any witch worth their salt learns how to resist vampire glamour," I mumbled, brushing my lips against Godric's smooth skin.

"So you learned?"

"Yep. My Dad made sure I didn't fail that lesson."

"Your father was a smart man," Godric said. "With the amount of power you have, it was only a matter of time before a vampire took interest in you."

A cold shiver ran down my back. "Is that why you're interested in me?" I asked warily. "For my power?"

Godric pulled me up a few inches so he could look me in the eye. "Turid, I am with you because you performed a miracle. For many years now, I have been contemplating meeting the sun. And yet, after spending just a few days in your company, I find that I want to live. At least for a while longer."

I slid up Godric's body and pressed a hard kiss against his lips. "Ditto," I said with a watery smile.

"You no longer seek the end?" Godric asked me, caressing a finger down my cheek.

"No," I said, and I knew it to be true. Now that I had Godric, my life suddenly seemed worth something again.

"Good," Godric said, and kissed me, first on my mouth, and then my cheek. "Very good."

I relaxed against his body, my head resting on his shoulder and my lips pressed against his neck. I was sated and happy, and finally able to forget about the stresses of that night.

"How _are_ you feeling," Godric asked, and I knew he meant my reaction to ingesting his blood.

"Everything seems brighter. Sharper, somehow," I replied as I glanced around the room, taking in all the pulsing colours and shapes. "And I'm not sore, after... you know."

Godric laughed. "You would have been sore otherwise, I assure you. Also, I believe your couch may need replacing."

I snorted with laughter and buried my face against Godric's shoulder. "That was the best sex I've ever had. Seriously."

"Yes," Godric sighed, hugging me a little closer. "That was something else."

I blushed at his words. For a guy as old as Godric to say that. He must have been with thousands of women - no, best not to think about that. I had a jealous streak, and it would do me no good to linger on things that happened in his past.

"So can you feel me now?" I asked, curious about this new connection between us.

"Yes." Godric gave me a pointed look. "There is no need to feel jealous."

Damn. Busted.

"I cannot change my past, my little witch, but know that now there is only you."

I relaxed at his words of reassurance. "So does this mean that we're having the relationship talk?"

"The what?" Godric replied with a frown.

_Poor guy_, I thought with a snicker. So old, and yet so clueless about certain things. "You know, after people have dated for awhile, they talk about commitment and stuff."

"Ah." Godric pondered on that for a minute. "If that is what it is, then we are having the relationship talk. You are the only one for me. Am I the only one for you?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation, pleased as punch Godric was willing to make that commitment. It warmed my insides, and I melted into his embrace.

"Turid?" Godric asked, a little cautiously. I looked up at him with a frown. "Will you come with me tomorrow evening? To my nest?"

"Your nest?"

"My home," Godric clarified with a grin. "I want you to meet the vampires who owe me fealty, so I can introduce you properly as my human."

I sat up a little, confused and a bit worried. "Vampires who owe you fealty? What the heck does that mean?"

"I'm the sheriff," Godric said.

"What? You're the local vampire boss?" I asked, astonished. I didn't know a whole lot about vampire politics, but I knew what a sheriff was.

"Yes," Godric said simply. "I thought you knew. Is this a problem?"

"No, no, not a problem. I'm just surprised." And secretly very pleased. I was dating the local vampire boss. How cool was that?

"So you will come?"

"Yes." I had to admit, I was curious about what kind of vampires owed fealty to Godric.

"Good. I will collect you an hour after sunset." And with that Godric kissed me. Not a brief kiss, this time, but one that involved his tongue, and a little later, his fangs, and that left no question about what Godric wanted of me.

We made love, slow and almost lazy, but no less intense, and when I finally fell asleep in his arms, I was feeling happier than I'd ever felt before.

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**A/N: I want to thank everyone for reading, reviewing and adding my story to their favourite lists and story alerts. This is not my first fanfic, but it is my first story set in the True Blood/Southern Vampire universe, and I'm having a blast writing it. **

**To answer a few questions: this is going to be a long story. I have the general outline planned out. We'll be seeing Eric soon, within a few more chapters. I won't say much more on that, because that would be spoiling the story, so you'll just have to be patient. Know that I will follow the general storyline of the TV show, and the books to a lesser extent, with a few changes here and there to fit the story, of course. **

**As for the timeline, the story is currently set in late spring, right before the TV show starts (which takes place in the early summer). My story and the storyline from the TV show will merge at some point, but I'm not saying when, because again, that would be spoiling it. **

**Updates should happen frequently, since I have enough time to write right now. And remember, reviews make a writer work faster. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Yes, I understand, Susan," I said into my phone, suppressing a sigh. "Sure, give me a call. Bye." I clicked my phone shut a little harder than was necessary.

Great, now I'd all but lost my job. I glanced at the clock. I still had some time before Godric would be here, so I got my laptop and settled on the couch. Might as well check out Craigslist real quick, to see if there were any part-time jobs in retail available.

I was so engrossed in browsing through the job ads, that I was surprised when the doorbell rang.

"Another new dress?" Godric asked after I opened the door. His gaze swept over me, and his lips curved into an appreciative grin.

"Yep," I said. I'd made another trip to the mall, figuring that as the boss' girlfriend I'd better look nice when meeting the boss' vampires. My new dress was a deep purple, made from some silky material that shimmered in the right kind of lighting.

"You look stunning," Godric said, as I closed the door. He gave me a quick kiss, and then another one that lasted considerably longer.

"Thanks," I said. "I'm ready, just need to shut off my laptop."

"Were you looking at job ads?" Godric asked as he stepped closer to the couch and noticed the screen of my laptop.

I sighed. "Yeah, I kinda lost my job." At Godric's inquisitive look, I added, "My boss called and said that with the way the economy is going, she won't need me to come in more than once or twice a month. I want to work more than that."

Godric nodded his understanding. "Have you found anything yet?"

We both settled on the couch and I pulled my laptop closer. "There are a few things. Starbucks is hiring. Not that I like coffee, but hey, it's a job, right?"

Godric gave me a dubious look, but refrained from commenting.

"Oh, and here, a jewellery store needs a salesperson. I like jewellery."

"That's good to know," Godric said, brushing a kiss against my temple.

My cheeks flushed. Did Godric think I just said that to give him a hint? "I didn't mean - "

"I know," Godric said quickly. "I can feel your embarrassment. There is no need to feel that way."

"Well," I said with a little huff. "It's hardly fair you can now feel everything about me, is it?"

"But convenient," Godric replied with a cheeky smile.

I ignored him, and clicked on the jewellery add. "Oh, they need someone with a degree in gemology. Never mind." I closed the add again.

"I could hire you," Godric said, and I snapped my gaze at him.

"As what?"

"As a witch, of course."

I was a little alarmed at the idea of working as a professional witch. Ever since that faithful night, I'd kept my spell casting to an absolute minimum, only using a few things I was comfortable with like teleportation and setting up a simple ward around my house.

"Why does this make you so upset?" Godric asked, leaning back against the couch. It wobbled slightly under his shifting weight, and that cut through the tension. We both burst out in laughter as we knew exactly why my couch was in such a state.

"I will get you a new couch," Godric said after we'd calmed down.

"No need," I said, carefully wiping a tear from my eye without smudging my makeup. "It was a freebie. I'll find something else."

"All right. But you didn't answer my question."

Releasing a deep breath, I shifted on the couch to look at Godric. There was another wobble, but we didn't laugh this time. "You know why. I have all this new power, and I'm not comfortable using it."

"But you don't have to use it, do you?" Godric countered, reasonably. "You were already an accomplished witch before you got it, am I correct?"

"Yes. I was a pretty good witch before."

"So, use only the power you're comfortable using."

I pursed my lips and considered Godric's words. He had a point. I knew he did. But the idea of ever using this new, darker power was terrifying. What if I was put in a situation where I was forced to use it? What if I needed to use it to protect Godric? How would it change me? Would it change me at all?

"Isn't there a saying," Godric said, brushing his hand over my arm. "If you fall out of the saddle, you should climb back into it?"

"Yeah, but that saying involves a horse, not a demon."

"But the idea is the same," Godric said. He sounded so reasonable. "Use only the power you're comfortable using. I would not ask more of you, and I would pay you very well."

"I don't really need the money, Godric," I said, a little offended. "I have plenty of money. I just enjoy working, and getting a salary means I won't have to tap into my reserves so much. They'll last longer that way."

"I'm not offering you charity," Godric said with an incredulous look. "I'm offering you a job. I expect results."

I chuckled at that. "I bet you're a tough boss."

"Very," Godric said in a way that made things clench between my legs. I tried to ignore it.

"So what kind of magic would you need from me?" I asked, tentatively warming to the idea. I did miss doing magic, no matter how much it terrified me.

"You can cast protective wards?" Godric asked, and I gave him a nod. "Then I would have you ward all my safe houses and businesses. And I'm sure some of the other vampires in this area would like to hire you as well for that reason. Just doing that would keep you busy for a while."

"Well," I said, desperately trying to look for objections but finding none. "I can do wards for you, no problem."

"Excellent. We'll go over the details later. But for now, we must leave. There are people waiting for us."

Godric got up as I closed my laptop. I followed him to the door, checked my make-up in the mirror, snatched my purse from the side table, and locked the door behind me.

"How are we - " I snapped my mouth shut when I noticed the dark sedan parked in front of my house. "You drove?"

"I assumed you didn't want to arrive completely windblown," Godric said with a smile that bordered on a smirk.

"How right you are." Somehow the idea of Godric owning a car was strange. He'd always seemed so detached from the modern world in a way, but I knew it was ridiculous to think Godric didn't keep up with all the comforts of today's world.

I slid into the comfortable seat after Godric held the door for me, and he used a little vampire speed to move around the car and into his own seat.

"Very nice," I said, glancing around as I buckled my seatbelt. It looked like a reasonably new car. Not that I knew anything about cars, but I knew what looked good or not. And Godric's car looked very good.

"Thank you," he said, and turned the ignition. As the engine hummed to life, music filled the car, and I looked down to see an Ipod hooked up to the sound system.

"Queensryche?" I asked with a pleased smile once I recognized the song.

"Yes," Godric said, sounding surprised. "Do you enjoy their music?"

"Very much."

"I'm surprised you know of this band. They are older than you are."

I sputtered in protest. "Good music has nothing to do with age," I said haughtily. When no response followed, I added, "Okay, so a boyfriend in high school introduced me to their music, and I've appreciated it ever since."

"What is your favourite song of theirs?" Godric asked me. I'd noticed the slight pinch of his lips as I'd mentioned a previous boyfriend, and I had to hide my grin by briefly looking out the window.

"Silent Lucidity. Do you have it?"

"Of course." And faster than my eyes could follow, Godric browsed through the songs until the tell-tale guitar intro washed over us. Who knew you could use vampire speed on an Ipod?

As we drove through the streets of Dallas I softly sang along with the song. Not that I was much of a singer, but it's impossible not to sing along with a favourite song. At least for me. And as we stopped for a traffic light, I noticed that Godric was humming along with the song, even tapping his hand on the steering wheel with the slow beat of the song. It was just..._cute_. And here I was thinking of a vampire as cute. I suppressed a giggle, but Godric must have noticed something in my emotions, because he glanced at me with a curved eyebrow.

"One of the best songs ever written," I said quickly to mask my rather ridiculous thoughts. Godric nodded his agreement. "And now we know we have similar tastes in music. That's good."

"Is it?" Godric sounded completely nonplussed.

"Oh yes. In the modern dating scene, this is a must," I said seriously, though I couldn't hide my grin. "No relationship can be formed if there isn't a similar taste in music."

Godric shook his head, as though to say: 'You strange humans'.

We spent the rest of the 20 minute drive listening to more Queensryche, and discussing what other music we liked. It was all so..._normal_. It could have been a car ride with any old guy, yet it was a vampire sitting beside me. And for the umpteenth time in just a few days I marvelled at the strange turn my life had taken.

Godric parked the car in front of a bungalow that did not look out of place beside any of the other houses in the street. The yard looked well-kept, and the house seemed to be in excellent repair. Godric opened to car door for me and offered me a hand to help me out. He must have sensed my nervousness, because he cupped my cheek and brushed a kiss across my lips.

"There is no reason for you to worry. You are my human, and none here will harm you, or they will face my wrath."

I quickly decided I did not want to know what Godric's wrath would entail. He'd been around for a while. I was sure he knew of horrible things to do to another that I couldn't even imagine.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, and held Godric's hand as we strolled up to the house.

The inside of the house was surprisingly contemporary. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting of Godric's nest, but it hadn't been modern art and stylish furniture. I was pulled out of my thoughts as we stepped into the living room, which was filled with a dozen vampires or more. Oh, there were humans, too, but mostly I noticed the vampires. I squeezed Godric's hand a little tighter.

"Good evening, everyone," Godric said. In response, every single vampire in the room nodded at him. "This is my human, Turid. You will be seeing much more of her from now on."

I smiled my best nervous smile as every vampire in the room looked me over. Their expressions stayed blank, but I noticed a few nostrils flaring here and there. I wondered if Godric had mentioned to them I was a witch. If not, they were probably wondering what I was, and if I was a threat. In some ways, vampires were very predictable.

Godric guided me towards a pretty Latino lady with a human guy in a suit at her side.

"Turid, this is Isabel," Godric said.

"Ah, the emergency contact," I said before I could stop myself. I noticed Godric smiling from the corner of my eye, so hopefully I hadn't made that big of a faux-pas.

Isabel studied me, tilting her head just a bit. "And you are the girl who has put a smile back on our Sheriff's face," she said, offering me an indulgent smile. "It is nice to meet you, Turid."

"Likewise," I said, trying not to blush.

"And this is my human, Hugo," Isabel continued.

Hugo and I shook hands. He was handsome, in a rather conventional way, and whenever he glanced at Isabel he looked like he'd won the lottery. Oh yeah, he was smitten.

Next, Godric guided me to a tall vampire complete with black cowboy hat. He was bearded, and handsome in that 'I might be slightly psychopathic' way that some girls find attractive. I didn't.

"Turid, this is Stan," Godric said. He'd grabbed hold of my hand again, and I squeezed it. I wasn't sure I liked Stan a whole lot.

Stan looked me over, starting at my feet. His gaze lingered on my cleavage much longer than was appropriate in any situation, except perhaps when selecting a prostitute. Finally Stan looked at my face and grinned. I tried not to scowl at him too much.

"Stan, this is Turid. She is my human." Godric put just a little emphasis on 'my', but this didn't seem to faze Stan much. He grumbled something that might have been 'pleased to meet you', but before I could reply, Godric tugged on my arm and introduced me to the next vampire.

And around we went. I met a strikingly handsome vampire with black hair that was greying around his temples, named Gerald, and a female vampire with smouldering eyes and chocolate skin named Lisbeth, and a dozen others whose names and faces started to blur.

Finally, we made our way back to Isabel and Hugo.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hugo asked me politely. "Wine? We're serving an excellent Merlot tonight."

And even though I do like wine, I declined politely. I hadn't had a drink in months, and I wanted to keep my wits about me in a room full of vampires, even if Godric was standing right beside me. "Maybe some orange juice?" I suggested, and Hugo took off, to return a few minutes later with my drink.

I took a grateful sip, and Hugo and I chatted for a while about living in Dallas and the weather and a few other inane things. Isabel and Godric exchanged a few words, but mostly they observed us. I wondered if this was some form of vampire entertainment: observe the humans in their not so natural environment.

After I'd finished my drink I excused myself to use the ladies room. I made quick work of things, washed my hands thoroughly, checked my hair and make-up in the mirror, and made my way back to the living room.

But before I reached it, I ran into a vampire.

Stan.

"Well, hello there, sweet thing," Stan rumbled, and the moment I looked up into his eyes I felled his pull on my brain.

Oh no, he didn't.

"You smell real nice. Why don't you come with me, and I'll show you a real good time, sugar."

I pulled all my power together and effortlessly blocked his glamour.

"You know, Stan," I said a little too loudly. I was growing more furious by the second. "It's not smart to try to glamour your Sheriff's human. Especially when said human can turn you into a toad!"

Stan's fangs snapped to attention and he growled while leaning closer to me, but with a brush of wind Godric was standing beside me, growling right back at Stan.

"Did you just try to glamour my human?" Godric demanded, his posture speaking of a quiet power you'd do well never to cross.

"Sheriff," Stan said, leaning back to stand in a casual pose. "This little human's just trying to cause trouble. I didn't do anything wrong."

"What?" I squeaked, just as Godric said, "You accuse my human of lying?"

"You're gonna take her word over mine, Sheriff?" Stan asked with mock-hurt.

"Yes," Godric hissed. "I know for a fact she is not lying."

That pulled Stan up short. "She had your blood?" he asked in disbelief.

Godric didn't answer him, but he did take a step closer to Stan, who quickly backed up. "Now will you explain to me why you are lying to my face, underling?"

Stan bowed his head. "Sheriff, I was just trying to make sure she's not a threat - "

"And now you are lying again," Godric snarled, his power flooding the room, prickling my skin. "You are banned from the nest for one week, during which time you will not hunt."

"But Sheriff, I've got to eat!" Stan protested, but he kept his head down.

"You can drink from a bottle if you go hungry. Or would you rather I took you down to the basement in silver and keep you there for a while so you can think about your errors in detail?"

"No, Sheriff," Stan said, his tone far more subdued. "Banned for a week, no hunting." And with that he righted himself and was gone with vampire speed. The front door banged shut in the distance.

"Are you all right?" Godric asked me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

I nodded, still shocked by the power display I'd just witnessed. Godric may not look like much to the casual observer, but it was clear he _was_ the boss and had the power to back it up.

Godric pulled me into an embrace, and I eagerly returned it. "I hope Stan's bad manners have not put you off my kind completely?" Godric asked quietly.

"Nah," I said, and we released each other. "I'll live."

"You will if I have anything to say about it," Godric said with a smirk, and he gave me a lingering kiss.

After we made our way back to the living room, I talked to some more humans, while Godric discussed several things with a few vampires. Mostly about one business or another, but I didn't pay too much attention to the conversation.

After a while, I got thirsty again. No one had offered me another drink. The humans were too busy catching the attention from one or more vampires, and the vampires simply didn't seem to realize that humans needed more or less constant hydration. I had noticed a few humans wandering in a certain direction and returning with full glasses, so when Godric was deep in conversation with Gerald, I decided to investigate on my own.

I found the kitchen easily. It was empty save for a young vampire waiting for the microwave to heat her bottle of blood. She was young in more ways than one. She couldn't have been much older than me when she was turned, and she was tapping her acrylic nails on the kitchen counter while waiting for the microwave to beep. It was a very human gesture, and a tell-tale sign she hadn't been a vampire for long. The older the vampire, the stiller they became in their body language, or so it seemed.

"Oh, hi," she said, as I opened the fridge to help myself to a glass of orange juice. "You're Godric's human. I'm Allison. Call me Ally!"

Boy, she was a peppy one.

"Hi, I'm Turid," I said, as I sipped my glass.

"Nice to meet you. About time the Sheriff got himself someone." The microwave beeped and she retrieved her bottle of blood. She shook her long, auburn hair as she gave me a curious look. "I love your dress! Where did you get it?"

And off the conversation went. She was surprisingly comfortable to talk to, as we discussed fashion, favourite stores at the mall, best types of lip gloss, and many other feminine subject matters. It was certainly more entertaining than discussing the weather with Hugo.

Inevitably we arrived at more personal subject matters. She inquired about my college career, and informed me she missed college life, as she'd been a French major.

"You haven't been a vampire for long, have you?" I finally dared to ask.

"You're right. Just over a year now. What gave me away?"

I tapped my fingernails against the counter.

"Oh," Ally said while she rolled her eyes. "Gerald is always saying vampires don't wear acrylic nails, but I just don't care. I need my manicure! I'm Gerald's, by the way."

I took that to mean that Gerald was her maker. "So why did you decide to become a vampire?" I asked, insanely curious to know why anyone would make that choice.

"Well," she said, sobering a little. "I didn't exactly make that choice. I was Gerald's human," she leaned closer to me and whispered conspiratorially, "There was a feeding accident."

"Ah." I quickly decided I didn't need to know more about that. "So how do you like it?"

"It's okay," she said with a nod as she stared at the bottle in her hands. "Some things are way cool, like being super strong and having vampire speed and stuff."

"Miss anything in particular?" I asked, thinking she might miss food or sunbathing.

"My family," Ally said with a frown.

"Ah," I replied, unsure how to respond to that.

"They weren't exactly happy with what happened. They're saying they need more time before they can see me as a vampire. I think they just prefer to think of me as dead."

I bit my lip and stared at my shoes. "My whole family is dead," I offered, wondering if that might be a good thing to say. "At least you still have a chance to reconcile with yours."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ally said sincerely. "But hey, you've got Godric now, right?" I nodded my agreement. "So, what's he like?"

"Huh?"

Ally shuffled a little closer to me and lowered her voice. "You know, intimately. He's always such a... a... cool frog, you know? Never shows anything."

"I've got no complaints," I said with a grin, fondly remembering how we'd wrecked my couch the previous night.

"Aahh," Ally said, her grin matching my own. "He's one of those types who keeps it all inside until he explodes, right?"

"There you are," Godric said from the doorway.

Ally would have dropped her bottle if it hadn't been for her vampire speed. She caught it before it hit the floor. "Sheriff!" she squealed.

"Are you keeping my human company, Allison?" Godric asked as he sauntered over to me.

"We're just talking," I said, taking pity on Ally, who was staring at Godric with wide eyes.

"Right! I didn't touch her, Sheriff," Ally said, moving away from us quickly. Then she added to me, "I'll talk to you later." And with that, she zoomed out of the kitchen.

Godric hugged me, and I relaxed in his embrace. "So you have no complaints, I hear," he whispered in my ear.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop," I whispered back.

"I'm just making sure my witch doesn't come to any harm," he said, completely unapologetic. I rolled my eyes at him, and he replied by giving me a toe-curling kiss. "Come, we will join the others for a few moments before I take you home."

We settled on the couch in the living room. A lot of vampires and most humans had already left. I must have talked to Ally longer than I thought. Godric wrapped an arm around me and pressed me close to his body. I didn't mind one bit.

Isabel returned from seeing Hugo to the door, and with that the conversation picked up where the vampires had apparently left it off.

"They could become violent," Lisbeth said, sneering. "They certainly talk about it enough."

"But they have not shown violence," Isabel argued.

"Yet," Gerald growled. Ally sat beside him on the opposite couch and she seemed as clueless about the subject matter as I was.

"But if we could just talk to them," Isabel said.

"I have already tried communicating with them," Godric said. "But Steve Newlin refuses to return my phone calls."

Ah. They were talking about the Fellowship of the Sun. I glanced at Godric, surprised to hear he'd made that kind of effort.

"We cannot strike first," Isabel said, crossing her arms. "It would undo everything we've worked for these past two years."

"We need more information," Gerald reasoned. "We need to know what's really going on within those walls."

I raised my hand, drawing everyone's attention.

"Turid?" Godric asked. "Do you have something to say?"

"I can check them out," I offered, thinking that was the easiest solution for now. "I'm sure I can pose as a Christian fundamentalist."

"You'd be willing to do this for us?" Godric asked, tilting his head.

"Sure. I don't like these guys either. Besides, I figure this way I can finally get back at them, if I help expose them for what they are. It were these exact types who've hunted and killed witches throughout the centuries."

Gerald threw his head back and laughed, and I looked at Godric to gauge his reaction.

"If you are willing, then yes, we would appreciate your help," Godric said, and squeezed my shoulders. "But I do not want you to put yourself in any danger."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," I said, and brushed my mouth against his shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "I'm sure I can handle a few kooky Christians. I mean, what's the worst they can do to me? Pray at me?"

Godric chuckled, and pulled me closer still. "Just make sure you won't come to any harm."

"I won't. I promise."

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**A/N. Thanks for reading, everyone! And don't worry, we're not going to be spending endless chapters at the Fellowship of the Sun, but we do need to go there for a little bit to make the plot work. **

**The next chapter will be up soon. And reviews always makes me a very happy writer. Let me know what you think of the story thus far. I'm not used to writing OC's (never did in my old fandom), and I'm trying to keep it both interesting and realistic, without going over the top. **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

And so it happened that two days later I was driving towards the Fellowship of the Sun to attend their Sunday mass. After my initial offer, Godric and I had discussed my plans in detail. Godric still seemed slightly apprehensive, but after I'd agreed to go in undercover, he became more at ease with the idea. And being a vampire Sheriff obviously came with certain perks, because just a few phone calls later, Godric had arranged for a whole new identity for me.

I was driving a small Mazda that was not my own, my new (but very fake) driver's license now proclaimed my name to be 'Tessie White', and I carried a disposable cell phone. Godric had made sure I'd memorized his phone number, and a few others whom I could call in case of emergencies. As I slowed down for a traffic light, I touched the necklace I was wearing. Godric and I had spent last night in my bed, talking and snuggling and fucking, and when I woke up this morning I'd found the necklace clasped around my neck. Sneaky bastard. It was white gold, with a modest ruby and diamond pendant.

I loved it, and had to bite back a sappy smile as I fondled the pendant and admired it in the rear-view mirror.

Last night, sometime during our third round of the most amazing sex ever invented, I had come to a conclusion.

I was deeply, madly, insanely in love with Godric.

And perhaps that idea should scare me, should make me want to turn the car around and not stop driving until I reached the east coast, because hello, _vampire_. But it didn't.

Somehow, Godric and I worked.

He was cool and composed when he needed to be, so he could deal with my small fits and reeling emotions. He was caring, so he listened patiently as I voiced my fears and insecurities. And he had a dry and often wicked sense of humour that always brought a smile to my face. And last but not least, we fit together perfectly in the physical department.

Sex with Godric was never boring, whether it was hard and fast and up against the wall, or slow and loving in my bed.

A car horn honked behind me, and I quickly stomped down on the gas pedal. Thinking about the man you loved obviously made you less aware of changing traffic lights.

It took me about half an hour to get to the Fellowship of the Sun, and when I arrived there the parking lot was packed. After driving around for a few minutes I finally found an available space, squeezed my Mazda into it, and then sat back and inhaled a few deep breaths.

Okay. Think like a Christian. I had no clue what that entailed, exactly, but I'd better learn to fake it fast. I checked myself over in the mirror one last time, and slipped out of my car. I was wearing my most conservative dress (a denim number with sleeves that reached my elbows and a skirt that brushed just past my knees), and I hoped this was appropriate Christian wear. My hair was braided and my make-up was near non-existent.

We'd now officially reached the summer, and the weather wanted to make sure we knew it. The heat was oppressive, and I made my way across the parking lot as quickly as I could without breaking into a sweat. Lots of people were filing into the church - mostly wholesome, white American families - and it was easy for me to disappear in the small crowd. I exchanged a few smiles and polite greetings, but was stopped before entering the large doors by a middle-aged woman with brown hair that was teased up in a typical Texan fashion, and a name-tag that read 'Sheila'.

"Is this your first time, honey?" she asked, as she offered me a pamphlet.

For a moment, I was alarmed. Did I stand out so much that the first Fellowship member could pick me out of a crowd?

"Oh, don't you worry, sweetie," Sheila cooed. Yes, she _cooed_. "We make it a point to know all the members of our congregation personally."

"Yeah," I said, biting back the relieved sigh that wanted to escape my lips. "First time here. I only moved to Dallas recently."

"Well, after the service you be sure to hang around for some coffee and cake, and you'll make some new friends right away!"

"Thanks," I said with my brightest smile, and hurried inside the church. I was instantly grateful that Godric had insisted on my fake identity. I did not want these people to ever find out who I really was.

I sat down beside a family with three polished kids who all looked like they'd be much happier playing in the mud than sitting in a church in their Sunday bests. I exchanged pleasantries with the parents, and then focused my attention on the pamphlet in my hands. It didn't hold any information that I hadn't already read on their website, but I read every word of it just to pretend to be busy.

Finally, the sermon began and Reverend Steve Newlin came into view, dressed completely in white as though he was the second coming of the Messiah.

People applauded as he greeted us.

Since when did people applaud in a church? Granted, I hadn't actually been in a church before, save for visiting a few ancient cathedrals around the world with my Dad to admire the architecture, but still. It all seemed mighty strange to me. But I went along with what everyone else was doing, so I smiled and applauded and laughed at all the appropriate moments. During the sermon I had to be careful not to zone out. Even though Steven Newlin appeared animated and passionate, the subject matter was just plain boring. God is good...blah, blah, blah, God is great...blah, blah, blah, vampires are evil agents of Satan... blah, blah, blah... we have the tools to annihilate them -

That made me sit up a little straighter.

"My brothers and sisters," Steve Newlin shouted. "God has given us the sun! We have the strongest weapon available to help us to destroy these fiends from hell!"

It wasn't Steve's words that alarmed me. It was his aura. I examined it as Steve rattled on and on about ridding the world of sub-humans, and I came to a quick conclusion that Steve wasn't just using metaphors. He meant every word he said. Nothing would make Steve happier than to see every single vampire burned to a crisp.

The vampires were right to worry about this man and his church. When it came to this kind of extremism, there was no telling what a guy like Steve Newlin was capable of.

But I kept my face a blank mask and cheered along, and finally got to my feet with everyone else to give Steve a thunderous round of applause as the sermon was completed.

After I shuffled out of the main hall, I quickly found the table that offered coffee and cake, and all too soon I was standing in a corner holding a cup of Joe I didn't really like but sipped anyway, and a paper plate with a soggy slice of sponge cake, and that's how Sheila found me.

"Hi, sweetie," she said cheerfully. "How did you like the sermon?"

"Wow," I said, hoping to sound admiring and not disgusted. "I'm glad to hear someone finally say the things Steve says. It's about time."

Sheila's face grew more serious. "It's disgusting how everyone, even the government, just wants us to accept these monsters, isn't it?"

I nodded, sipped my coffee and tried not to grimace.

"I'm Sheila," Sheila offered, and then laughed when she noticed me looking down at her name tag. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"

"I'm Tessie," I said, and shook her hand. "Tessie White."

"Well, Tessie, we're awfully glad you came out here today. We can always use more volunteers."

"Oh, really?" I said, feeling enthusiastic for the first time that morning. The more I could worm myself into these people's business, the more I would discover about them, I reasoned.

And so it happened that within the next five minutes I signed myself up for the Holy Letter Campaign (stuffing newsletters in envelopes), the Holy Phone Campaign (calling unsuspecting victims to inform them about the evils of vampires), and the Holy Refreshment Team (offering coffee to people during special events). And just when I thought I'd spent enough time at the church and it was safe for me to make my excuses and leave, Sheila and I were approached by two men. One was shorter and stocky, and the other one was tall and lanky.

"Oh, hi there," Sheila gushed, and gestured between us all. "This is Tessie. She's new. Tessie, this is Gabe."

I shook the stockier guy's hand, and he damn near squashed mine in the process. One look at Gabe's aura told me this was not a man you wanted to cross. His aura was practically blazing with a lust for violence.

"And this is his cousin, Ronald," Sheila added, her smile growing impossibly brighter.

I shook Ronald's hand and it felt like grabbing hold of a wet towel. But I kept my smile in place and nodded politely at him.

"You're real pretty," Ronald said, his freckled face turning an alarming shade of red, clashing immensely with his ginger hair. Gabe elbowed him in his ribs, which forced Ronald to take a step back.

"Go on," Gabe mumbled.

"Are you single?" Ronald asked, a bit more subdued this time. "Cause if you are, I'd really like to take you out for some coffee sometime. Maybe tonight."

"Oh," I said, unsure if I should feel insulted that the most unattractive man in this place was apparently the only one interested in asking me out, or if I should do a little victory dance at the idea of being able to interrogate this obvious simpleton. "Sure, I'm single. And coffee sounds great."

Gabe leered at me, his thoughts going in directions I didn't want to know about, and Ronald grinned like a buffoon.

"Well, isn't that nice," Sheila chattered. "See, Tessie, I told you you'd make friends right away."

"Yeah, it's great! So, Ronald, why don't we meet each other somewhere tonight around seven?"

Ronald started snorting, and for a moment I thought he might be choking to death, but then I realized this was some form of laughter.

"Sure thing, Tessie," he said, unable to look me in the eye. We agreed where to meet, and I was finally able to say my goodbyes.

I rushed home, coming close to breaking the speed limit a few times, and the first thing I did when I got home was take a long, _long_ shower. I just had to wash off the layer of hatred that had affixed itself to my skin.

As I was towelling myself dry, I realized I'd have to let Godric know about the change of plans for tonight. He was supposed to come over 30 minutes after sunset, but I had no idea how long my date with Ronald would last. Even though I had no intention whatsoever to do anything but have coffee with the schmuck, if I could get him talking I wanted to be able to make the conversation last.

I got my phone and sent Godric a text message:

_Meeting Fellowship guy for coffee tonight at 7. Not sure when I'm back. Call you when home? Love, Turid._

Yeah, I added the little 'love' part there. I hadn't actually told Godric I loved him (we'd only know each other for barely a week), but I thought this was a good way to ease ourselves into the proclamation of affections.

I spent the rest of the day doing a few chores, running a few errands, and cooking myself some spaghetti. Just after 6 I dressed myself in a green sundress that showed a bit more cleavage than the denim one I'd worn that morning (hey, if you got them, use them), added a bit more make-up, and sprayed on some Chanel number 5, my most conservative perfume.

I checked myself in the mirror, and hoped this was the appropriate Christian version of a woman who was interested in her date.

When I arrived at the coffee bar, Ronald was already seated at a corner table. His hair was slicked to the side, and he was wearing a short-sleeved, striped shirt with a bright red tie, which did nothing for his pallid complexion.

"Hi," I said brightly, as I slid into a chair opposite him.

"You came," he said, as though he was more used to dates not showing up.

"Of course," I said with a reassuring smile. We ordered our coffees from the waitress, and spent the first ten minutes focusing on small-talk. Ronald worked as an IT-specialist for some financial company (no surprises there), lived alone with his cat Freckles after his mother had died from cancer last year, and was a staunch supporter of the Fellowship of the Sun, to which his cousin Gabe had introduced him.

I stuck to the story Godric and I had cooked up; I was a single woman working as an administrative clerk for an investment company, and I had just moved to Dallas after my father had died.

Finally, I was able to steer the conversation towards the subject I most wanted to talk about.

"I mean, Steve is amazing," I said, while Ronald nodded along. "But maybe we should actually do something instead of just talk about it."

"Oh, Gabe tells me Steve has plenty planned, to show these monsters what's coming to them," he said, and then seemed to realize he might have said too much. He drew back a little, and I immediately leaned forward, showing him a bit more cleavage, and placed a hand on his bare arm.

Ronald jerked in his seat, a most peculiar smile on his face. Goodness, I hoped he hadn't just creamed himself.

Ever so slowly, keeping a careful eye on his aura, I pushed a little power into him, just a small suggestion he could tell me whatever he wanted, that I could be trusted. It didn't take much at all to get him going. Ronald might be intelligent in some departments, but socially he was a moron, and he had no mental defences to speak of. And as I asked him questions, he told me _everything_. How Steve was dead-set on having a Holy Bonfire, how their leadership camp was a ruse to train Soldiers of the Sun, and how Gabe had been stockpiling all manner of weapons on Steve's orders.

As we left the coffee bar two hours later, my mind was reeling. I gave Ronald a peck on the cheek and told him I'd see him next week at the sermon. In a way I felt sorry for him, but mostly I wanted to smack him, hard. His cousin Gabe may have introduced him to the Fellowship of the Sun, but all the hatred he felt for vampires was his own, and I knew with certainty that if Ronald were aware witches were real, too, and that I was one, he'd be hating on me as well just for that reason.

When I got home just after 9:30, I found Godric sitting on my couch. I didn't even bother to wonder how he'd gotten in. Being that old would give one ample opportunity to learn how to pick locks. As I closed the door, Godric stood in front of me in a flash, and pushed me back against the door. He leaned closer, his hands running across my body, and he sniffed my face and my neck and my upper arms.

It took me a moment, but then I knew what he was doing. I giggled. "Are you being jealous?"

Godric stilled, his nose buried in my neck, and he waited a moment before he spoke, and that's what gave him away. "No," he mumbled.

"Yes, you are," I said with a pleased grin as Godric finally looked me in the eye. "You're jealous!"

"You were socializing with a human male," Godric said, his voice just a bit too tight. "Should I be jealous?"

"Nope." I pressed a hard kiss to his lips. "You should be grateful, because I've got so much to tell you."

"Later," Godric said, and all but dragged me to my bedroom. With vampire speed he divested me of my clothing, and then took care of his own. He stood before me, naked and hard, a look on his face as though he wanted to devour me. His fangs appeared with a click and his nostrils twitched, and I decided it was time I took control of the situation.

I pushed Godric back onto the bed - or rather, Godric let himself be pushed, because I made myself no illusions about our differences in strength - and as Godric lay stretched out on the sheets, I crawled on top of him.

His body was smooth and hard beneath mine, and I spent some time moving against him, stealing kisses, brushing my breasts against his chest, and sliding my wet centre over his straining erection.

I leaned up, positioned him at my core, and pushed down, so Godric filled me to the hilt. Godric grabbed my hips, and I thrust against him, slow at first, but moving a little faster with each jerk of my body. We kept our gazes locked, and I lost myself in the intensity of his eyes and the way our bodies connected in a heated embrace. Soon, we were both thrusting with vigour, and I was close, so close to finding my release. Godric pushed up, slid his fangs into my breast right above my nipple, and the moment he started sucking, I came with a cry.

My body shuddered as Godric found his release with a few more pumps of his hips, and I collapsed against him. I gasped for breath, and Godric was completely still beneath me, only his hand moving in soothing circles across my back. We stayed like that for a while, not talking, just enjoying the intimacy, the feel of each other, the pleasure we found together.

But inevitably nature called, and I slid off him, made a quick pit-stop in the bathroom, then a detour to the kitchen, and I returned to my bedroom with a glass of sweet tea and a bottle of AB-negative. Godric accepted the bottle and sipped it as I slid into bed beside him and took a few swallows of sweet tea.

"Tell me," Godric said, and I did. I told him everything that had happened that day, leaving no detail out, and as I got to the information I'd gleaned from Ronald, Godric's eyes narrowed to slits, but his expression stayed blank. Once I was finished, Godric remained silent. I finished my drink and looked at him expectantly.

"It's worse than we thought," Godric finally said, and looked at me with an unreadable expression on his face. "How are we to stop them without resorting to violence?"

I shrugged. "Go to the authorities? They do have weapons they shouldn't have, according to Ronald."

Godric considered that. "But we have no proof. I doubt the authorities would raid a church on the word of a few vampires alone."

He had a point, and I sighed. "Then we need proof."

"How?"

I wrecked my brain. I could use more forceful magic on Ronald and make him go to the police to confess all he knew, but then Steve could spin it that Ronald was working on his own. No, we needed to nail Steve. We needed proof that he was the one orchestrating oncoming violence against vampires and collecting weapons illegally.

Then something dawned on me. "We could bug them!" I said, perking up.

"Bug them?"

"You know, place tiny little secret microphones around the church, so we can record all their conversation from a distance. Then if we catch Steve Newlin saying things he shouldn't be saying, we can take the recordings to the police. That should be proof enough for them to do a search of the building or something."

Godric looked at me for a moment, and then broke out in a smile. "Bug them. Perhaps this might work. I will call one of my vampires, Joseph, later. He is knowledgeable about modern technology. He could help set this up."

"Great!" I spread myself out against the sheets, and as I did so, my necklace tickled my skin. "Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you for the necklace."

Godric reached for it, brushing his thumb across the pendant. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. You shouldn't have, though. And you were very sneaky, to just put it on me like that."

Looking down, Godric grinned in a way that seemed almost shy. "It has been so long since - well, I was unsure how to give you such a gift, so I decided to offer it to you in the most logical way."

Giggling, I leaned closer to Godric and gave him a heartfelt kiss. For all his age and wisdom, Godric could be so clueless from time to time. I loved it. It became harder and harder for me to understand why some people just thought of vampires as monsters, now that I knew Godric. Sure, I was aware that Godric had probably done some horrible things in his long life, but if humans lived that long, they'd be doing some horrible things, too. Humans were capable of anything. One only needed to look at history to know that. So for humans to call vampires monsters, well, it was very much a case of the pot calling the kettle black, I'd come to realize.

"I'm glad you like your gift," Godric said, pulling me against his body as he lay down. "We need to discuss your new job. I want you to start warding my homes as soon as possible."

"Sure," I said, glancing up at him. "Your nest should be easy to ward, from what I've seen from it."

"You won't need to ward the nest," Godric said.

"Huh?"

Godric brushed his hand across my hair, tucking a strand behind my ear. "The nest is a meeting place. I do not spend my days there. We do receive a lot of visitors there, both human and vampire, so having wards on it might be troublesome if it would unintentionally keep visitors out."

"Ah," I said. "That makes sense. So just your private homes, then?"

"Yes. We will start this week. Do you have everything you require to cast these wards?"

"Pretty much. I might need to pick up a few more ingredients, but I should have no trouble getting them at the magic shop." There was a magic shop close to where I lived. It posed as a new age store, but every witch in the area knew what it really was. I had only visited it once since I'd moved to Dallas, not wanting to attract attention to myself from the local magical community, but they were well-stocked and I should be able to get everything I needed to make Godric's daytime resting places safer.

Godric hugged me a little tighter and brushed his lips across mine. I deepened the kiss, teasing his tongue with my own, until Godric pulled back.

"I know you have had a long day," he said tentatively. I think he was trying to make sure if I was up for another round. From what I felt brushing against my thigh, Godric certainly was.

"I will always want more of you," I whispered, and rolled over onto my back, pulling Godric down on top of me.

Turns out, I was up for two more rounds.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The next few weeks flew by in a blur of happiness.

My classes had ended, and I hadn't registered for the next semester. What with all the changes in my life, I just wasn't sure anymore if I wanted to be a biologist. And working as a witch for Godric kept me plenty busy. I warded all his homes, and when I was finished with those, other vampires in the area hired my services. Isabel, Lisbeth, Gerald, and even Stan were all eager to employ my talents, especially with the new threat from the Fellowship of the Sun. Godric accompanied me on those nights, but there weren't any problems (although Stan did spend an awful lot of time leering at me). The pay checks were good - more than good, even - so I didn't have to worry about money. I treated myself to a new couch from Target, and so far Godric and I hadn't broken it yet, though not from lack of trying.

Godric spent most nights with me or I with him, though he always saw me home before dawn. I understood that he didn't want me to spend the day with him. You don't live to be 2000 years old by being reckless, and we had only known each other for a few weeks. I could be patient. I knew Godric trusted me to a certain extent, anyway. He had shown me all his safe houses, after all.

On the nights Godric couldn't come over because he was busy taking care of vampire affairs, Ally came over instead. I wasn't sure if Godric sent her to keep an eye on me, or to protect me, but I didn't mind. Ally was good company, and it was nice to have a girlfriend to talk to about more feminine matters I couldn't bother my boyfriend with. Even if said girlfriend was a vampire. Ally and I spent an evening at the mall, adding to our wardrobe, and a week later we went to see a movie. I snuck in a bottle of True Blood for her (they didn't sell it at the movie theatre, for some reason), and I heated it with a little magic, so she could have her own refreshment as I munched on my popcorn. And we spent an evening at my home, giggling about past boyfriends and embarrassing encounters of the intimate kind.

And of course, I continued my spying mission on the Fellowship of the Sun. From time to time, I felt like a genuine secret agent as I snuck around the church, planting tiny microphones. Joseph had immediately taken to the idea after Godric informed him about it, and a few phone calls later, Joseph had set up some state of the art equipment at a secret location that recorded everything that went on at the Fellowship of the Sun. I went out with Ronald a few more times, though never anything more than having a cup of coffee together. It was an easy way to keep tabs on what was going on behind closed doors, as Ronald always seemed to know the latest news, thanks to his cousin Gabe. And at the end of our dates, all I had to do was push a little power into him with the suggestion that he shouldn't tell anyone about our conversations to make sure he kept his mouth shut and didn't draw suspicion to me.

Godric informed me that they had recorded some incriminating things already, but none that pointed to an immediate threat. There was one last place I had to bug, and that was Steve Newlin's office. We hoped to hit the jackpot once I accomplished that, but it proved harder than I initially thought.

I was walking through the halls of the church holding a stack of newsletters I'd just copied (it was my afternoon to help with the Holy Letter Campaign), when the opportunity finally arose. I saw Steve and Sarah Newlin leave the church, so I knew the office was empty. I hurried towards it, meanwhile making up some lame excuse about Steve wanting to proof the newsletters should I get caught. The door was open, and I all but skipped inside the office. Finally!

I dumped the newsletters on Steve's desk, retrieved the tiny microphone, no bigger than a pea, from my bra, and tacked it under Steve's desk.

Mission accomplished!

Humming under my breath, I retrieved my newsletters, and was ready to leave the office when the door slammed open.

Ronald stood there, looking at me as though his cat had just died. "You filthy whore!"

I was so taken aback by his words, all I could do was gape at him.

"How could you," Ronald cried, one hand tugging on his own hair, his face contorted in a grimace. "I loved you!"

"Ronald," I finally managed to say, as I took a slow step towards him. "I'm just giving Steve a newsletter to proof - "

"Save it, missy," Gabe snarled, marching inside the office. "We know what you are, you disgusting fangbanger."

Well, _crap_.

0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N Sorry to leave it there, folks. The new chapter should be up soon, though, and we'll finally see Eric. Let me know what you think will happen to poor Turid! Reviews are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"What are you talking about?" I demanded in my most indignant voice. Meanwhile my mind was going a mile a minute, trying to make sense of the situation.

How did they know?

How _the fuck_ had they found out?

As Gabe stalked towards me, I briefly considered just teleporting myself out of there. Normally, I wouldn't do magic in front of plain old humans, but in case of an emergency, that rule went flying out of the window. I stopped myself, though, when I realized I needed to know how they knew. They couldn't have figured out my real identity, could they? Had someone followed me home one day? No. At Godric's advice, I'd kept a close eye on my rear view mirror whenever I drove home from the church, so that couldn't be it. Also, I lived in a quiet street. I would have noticed if an unknown car sat parked near my house for long stretches of time, and that would have been the only way for them to see Godric arrive on my doorstep at night.

What the hell was going on?

"I haven't done anything wrong," I said with a tremble in my voice, as Gabe clasped my upper arm, hard enough to leave bruises. "Who's been telling lies about me?"

The stack of newsletters dropped to the floor as Gabe all but dragged me out of the office. I struggled, but not too much, knowing I would only hurt myself more if I did.

"You're a traitor to your race, you little slut," Gabe said, yanking me towards a door which I suspected led to a basement of sorts. It was one of the few places in the church I hadn't seen yet. "Did you really think we wouldn't find out those fangers sent a little spy to bug our church?"

"What?" I yelped, and struggled a little harder. How the hell did they know about the bugs? I had been so careful when planting them. "You know, Gabe," I tried to reason, as Gabe opened the door, and pulled me down a flight of stairs, "I don't think God approves of you hurting women."

"And I think God approves me hurting whores like yourself just fine."

I stumbled halfway down the stairs, slamming my shoulder against the wall, and then twisting my ankle as I had to make some impossible manoeuvres to stay on my feet. I had no doubt Gabe would have loved to drag me down the stairs face first.

"Gabe, you are hurting me!" I tried in one last attempt to make him see reason. "I'm an American woman! You can't just... kidnap me like this!"

"You're nothing," Gabe spat in my face.

"Release me, and I'll forget what happened, that you made these false accusations against me!"

"Oh, if you think you're getting out of here, you're even dumber than I thought," Gabe said with a smile that was way too creepy. He pushed me inside an enclosure of sorts, and then slammed the door in my face. "I can guarantee you, after Steve's done talking to you, you and me are going to have a little fun." And with that, Gabe rubbed his crotch against the metal mesh on the door. I repressed a shudder.

"See you real soon, you little bitch." Gabe sneered at me, and turned and headed back upstairs. I waited until I heard the door slam shut upstairs before I moved.

I pushed against the door. It was locked, of course. How the hell had they found out about me? I briefly considered waiting around for Steve to show up, so I could perhaps learn from him how they'd discovered me, but decided against it. It wasn't worth the risk. The look on Gabe's face had made it clear he'd meant business about hurting little old me.

I allowed myself a few moments to get my breathing under control. I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, pulled my power inwards, focused on my destination, and teleported myself straight into my own living room.

Let them figure out how their prisoner escaped from a locked cage. Now that the game was up, I couldn't really care what they believed happened.

Godric and I had discussed, at his insistence of course, a scenario like the one playing out right now, so I knew what to do.

I limped inside my bedroom (my ankle really hurt), grabbed a small duffel bag from my closet, and filled it with clothes and toiletries. Then I shuffled towards the kitchen, got a shopping bag, and filled it with food.

I knew the chance of them actually knowing my real identity was small. All the items I'd been forced to leave behind at he church, like the car and the purse, had no connection to the real me. I'd been very careful not to accidentally stick any identifying items in my 'fake purse', as I'd began to call it. Still, the safest thing to do was leave my house for a few days, as Godric had insisted, even though my house was warded and should offer me some protection from potential intruders.

I checked Herbert's water bowl to make sure it was full. He'd just eaten two days ago, so he'd be okay for a while longer.

Lastly, I went around the house to make sure all windows and doors were locked. Then I couldn't put it off any longer. With a sigh, I collected the bags and my purse, focused my magic, and teleported to the living room of the safe house Godric had reserved for me, the one whose address he'd given me all those weeks ago. I'd visited it in person when I'd warded it, so I knew it really was a _safe_ house.

The first thing I did was grab my cell phone and sent Godric a text message:

_Been found out. At safe house now. Am fine. Love, Turid_

That should tell him all he needed to know. I tossed my phone on the coffee table, grabbed the bag of food, and headed to the kitchen. It was a nice, modern kitchen, with cherry cabinets, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops. When I'd asked Godric about it - vampires didn't need fancy kitchens, after all - he'd said it was for the resale value. Vampires liked to switch safe houses on a regular bases, I gathered from that.

I put my food away in the fridge beside the emergency bottles of blood it always carried, and then fixed myself a simple turkey and ham sandwich and a cup of tea. Might as well have some dinner now. As I chewed on my sandwich, I couldn't stop thinking about the events earlier.

How _had_ they found out about me?

But no matter how much I wrecked my brain, I couldn't come up with an explanation that made sense. I finally gave up, rinsed off my plate, got myself another cup of tea, and headed back to the living room.

I noticed I had a missed text message from Godric.

_Be there at sunset, you really ok? - G_

I was too surprised by his early message to gush about the obvious concern it carried. I glanced at the clock on the far wall; it was only just past 4 pm. Another 4,5 hours before sunset. I knew Godric usually woke up a bit before sunset due to his age, but I was pretty sure it wasn't 4,5 hours. But then I remembered Godric had told me that our connection could wake him up if need be.

If I was in danger, if I felt enough distress, it could rouse Godric from his daytime rest.

I frowned. Had I been that distressed? At the time, I'd thought I had things pretty well under control. I'd known the entire time I could just teleport out of there. Then again, perhaps being dragged down the stairs to a basement cage by a potential rapist caused anyone distress, even if you refused to acknowledge it.

I sent him a text message back:

_Yes, really am fine. Can't wait to see you. Miss you. Love, Turid._

It took less than half a minute to get another message from him:

_Likewise - G_

I grinned like a loon, and settled back on the couch. I'd forgotten to pack a book or something to keep me busy, so I turned on the TV and quickly found a rerun of Mythbusters. Those guys never failed to entertain. I curled up on the couch, but I didn't make it far into the show, no matter how entertaining it was. The day's events caught up with me and I dozed off, and that's how Godric found me a few hours later.

"My dear heart," he whispered, stroking my cheek. He sat kneeling beside the couch, looking down at me with obvious concern.

I blinked up at him. "You're here," I said, with a glance at the window. It was barely dark, the sky still a wavering purple instead of the deep ink-blue of full night.

"Of course," he said, looking me over head to toe. "You _are_ hurt." It almost sounded like an accusation. He brushed his fingers across the bruises that had formed on my upper arm.

"Just a few bruises," I said dismissively. "Where Gabe grabbed me. He isn't the gentle sort even under the best of circumstances." I sat up, smiling my best smile to reassure my boyfriend.

Godric growled, and there was fire in his eyes as he stared at the bruises.

"Are you in pain?" he finally managed to ask.

"Nah," I said, waving a hand to try to close the subject. My ankle throbbed, sure, but it didn't really qualify as pain, did it?

Godric quirked an eyebrow at me. He wasn't buying any of it.

"Okay, so I twisted my ankle when Gabe pulled me down the stairs, but it's nothing serious. I'll be fine. Really."

Another growl, as Godric leaned back and lifted my injured ankle. I couldn't hold back a yelp as he pressed a finger against the strained joint. One more growl, and now I was willing to bet money Godric was thinking of slow and painful ways to end Gabe's life. The look on his face was a dead giveaway.

"I will give you some of my blood later. To heal," Godric said, carefully releasing my foot.

"No need. I'll just cast a few healing charms."

"Will these charms heal you completely?"

I opened my mouth, and then closed it again. "They'll speed up the healing process, and take most of the pain away, so - "

"Then you will take my blood," Godric said with the kind of finality that made me snap my mouth shut. Godric settled on the couch beside me, and pulled me in a tight embrace. "Tell me what happened."

I inhaled a deep breath, and started my tale. I decided to leave out the very last thing Gabe had said to me, as I didn't think there was any need to upset my vampire boyfriend any further.

"So I have no clue how they found out. I wasn't followed, I'm sure of that. But they knew about the bugs, or at least they knew I've been planting them. None of this makes sense," I finished, looking at Godric. He was staring at his lap, frowning.

"They did not know your real name?" he asked softly.

"They never mentioned it. Just that they knew I was a fangbanger, you know, traitor to my race... blah, blah, blah, and then that they knew I'd been sent by the vampires to bug their church. That's all."

"That is strange." Godric pulled out his cell phone and punched in a few numbers before holding it to his ear. "Joseph, I need a status report on the Fellowship bugs immediately...I'm not surprised...Yes, text me the list." He snapped his phone shut and looked at me. "Joseph tells me several bugs have stopped working. He will send us a list of their locations."

"Just several?" I asked, confused. At that moment Godric's phone beeped, and we looked at the text message. I'd dutifully reported all the exact locations of the microphones, and I was surprised at the list Joseph sent us.

"This is so weird," I said, indicating the locations on Godric's phone. "Here, this one is the first bug I planted, and then these I planted two weeks ago, and the one in Steve's office I planted today, so it makes sense they found that one. But the ones I've planted over the past week aren't on the list, so they can't have been following me around the church. This makes no sense."

"We have also been able to record incriminating evidence against them," Godric reasoned, while I frowned at him. "They would not have allowed us to do that if they knew the locations of all the bugs. How is it possible they only knew of several?"

"Ugh," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "This makes my head hurt."

We sat in silence for a while, both trying to figure out what the hell was going on. And then Godric stiffened beside me.

"Unless," he said, his voice straining somehow. "There is a traitor."

"What?" I squeaked, turning to look at him in alarm.

"A traitor in the nest," Godric continued, sounding more sure of himself now. "Someone who may have overheard a few things, may have known of a few locations of the bugs, and then gave the Fellowship that information."

I gasped at the implications of that. Someone in the nest decided to defy Godric like that? "My goodness," I whispered, suddenly feeling cold. "It must be a human, then."

"Probably, yes," Godric agreed. "But we cannot rule out it might be a vampire. Someone who is unhappy with me, or with us, who would seek to harm us this way."

"Stan?" I suggested softly, but Godric immediately shook his head.

"I do not think it is Stan. I believe Stan would rather chew off his own hands than cooperate with humans, even if it was to better his own position."

He had a point there. Stan made no secret of his contempt of humans.

"But we cannot trust anyone in the nest right now until we find this traitor," Godric said, and pressed a reassuring kiss to my cheek. "But we will find this traitor, of that I'm sure."

"How?" I wondered aloud. "Oh. I could put the whammy on the humans."

"The whammy?"

"You know, use magical mind-control, study their auras to see if they're lying."

"You can do this?" Godric looked at me with renewed interest.

"Sure. One-on-one. And it's very invasive, forcing yourself into someone else's mind like that. And if the human is particularly strong-willed, or has learned to shield their minds, it might not work. But it's something we could try."

"Hm." Godric thought about that, and then shook his head. "That would reveal we know there is a traitor, and it might give the traitor time to prepare. If we find no other way, we can try it, but for now I think we should keep our operation low-key. First, we need people we can trust."

And with that, Godric flipped his cell phone open and dialled a number. "Eric, my child...It has been too long...I have a traitor in my nest, are you willing to visit and help flush them out...yes, probably human...a telepath, really?...of course...that is not a problem...I will make sure rooms are booked in your name at Hotel Camilla...until tomorrow night, my child."

I stared at Godric with my mouth hanging open. "Eric is coming?" I asked, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.

"Yes, he is. Tomorrow night," Godric replied, sounding equally excited. "Are you eager to meet him?"

"Sure!" I said happily. Godric had told me plenty of stories of his child. As it turned out, the Tales of Godric and Eric Throughout The Ages made for excellent pillow-talk. I couldn't wait to finally meet the Viking Godric had made his eternal companion.

"I'm sure Eric will be surprised to meet you," Godric said with a grin.

"Huh?"

"I have not taken a human as my own since I turned him," he explained with a quiet chuckle.

I snickered. "Boy, is he in for a surprise then."

"Indeed. And he is bringing a telepath."

"A telepath? A mind-reader? Really?" I'd heard of telepaths before, but had always dismissed their existence. Someone who was born with the ability to read minds was hard to acknowledge, even for a witch. "So is she a witch who's learned telepathy?" I asked, thinking that might be an option.

"No, apparently she is a real telepath. She helped Eric flush out a traitor in one of his businesses."

"Hm," I said with an ominous frown.

"What is wrong?" Godric asked with a curious tilt of his head. "Do you foresee trouble using a telepath?"

"Nah. Just thinking that I'll need to cook up my strongest shield charm to keep her out of my mind. I don't want anyone to know about...you know...the demon power thing. If it gets out, there might - "

Godric cut me off with a kiss. "I understand. It's better no one ever finds out you hold that much power. We will tell her she should not read your thoughts."

I nodded and relaxed a bit. "I could probably sense it, anyway, if she tries to read my mind. My natural shields are pretty strong. But a little extra magic should do the trick. I'll prepare the charm tomorrow before they arrive."

"Good," Godric said and stroked my cheek with a gentle finger. "Now I want you to take my blood. If we are to flush out the traitor tomorrow night, I want you to be healthy and strong."

I nodded, feeling just a tad apprehensive. The last time I took Godric's blood, nothing happened except for the most amazing sex ever, but I couldn't stop the memories of a night in the desert, of shadows and teeth and blood, pushing themselves to the forefront of my mind.

"It will be fine," Godric whispered. "There were no problems last time, were there? And now you need the blood to heal. It will not have such a strong impact this time."

"Okay," I sighed, and wriggled against him in both apprehension and anticipation. "How are we going to do this?"

"Sit in my lap with your back to me."

I did as Godric instructed me, leaning back against his chest. I heard the click of his fangs and then Godric bit his wrist and held it to my mouth.

"Drink, my dear heart," he said softly into my ear, his tongue flicking out to offer teasing licks to my neck.

I latched on and sucked on the sweet blood, and the moment I did, Godric bucked his hips against me and sank his fangs inside my neck. We groaned, connected in a perfect circle of blood and pleasure. Warmth flooded me, heat swimming through every vein, and I blindly searched for Godric's free hand and urged it between my legs. He pushed up my dress, tore my panties to shreds, and slid two fingers inside me and started pumping, his thumb brushing against my clit, and all the while we were sucking, and we kept sucking until I exploded into pleasure.

Godric pulled his wrist away, dislodged from my neck, and stiffened against my back, his hips jerking as he let out a strangled cry.

We sat together for a while, me breathing hard, Godric nuzzling and licking at my neck. I ran my tongue across my lips and tasted his blood, and it made me snuggle a little closer to him.

"Did you just..." I asked, when I remember his response, and I giggled.

"Come in my pants?" Godric replied in a dry voice. "Yes. The effects you have on me, my little witch."

I turned in his lap and gave him a cheeky smile, before we became distracted by kisses and slow strokes of our hands.

"Take off your dress," Godric whispered, and I stood and undressed, as Godric took care of his own clothes. Both naked, we lay down on the couch, Godric on his back and my lying half on top of him. We continued our kisses and touches, but neither one of us felt like doing more. His blood inside me connected us in a way our bodies never could, and we both understood that.

Finally, my stomach rumbled, distracting us from our feelings of perfect intimacy.

"You brought food?" Godric asked, and I nodded. We got up, and he followed me to the kitchen. He heated up a bottle of blood for himself, and I fixed myself another sandwich. We were both still naked, and there was something comfortable yet incredibly sexy about walking around naked like that. We sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed our meals, talking about unimportant things, and I knew with clarity, with certainty, I could never love anyone more than I loved Godric at that moment.

The rest of the evening was spent in relative quiet. Godric made a few phone calls, and we spent some time snuggling on the couch, watching TV and discussing the possible identity of the traitor. And then, when I started yawning, Godric led me to a hallway in the back of the house. He pushed aside a bookcase, revealing a heavy door with an electronic keypad fixed to the wall beside it. After he punched in some numbers, the door clicked open, and Godric guided me inside his daytime resting place.

It was a windowless room that held a comfortable bed with cotton sheets, and there was an ensuite bathroom, with a simple layout, but done in beautiful terracotta colours.

We made love, and the recent blood exchange, the intimate connection between us made it an unhurried affair. We took our time exploring each other with our hands and our mouths before our bodies finally joined. I found my release several times, as Godric manoeuvred us in a new position every time I came so he could give me pleasure all over again. Godric came with a cry, slamming into me from behind as I tried to keep my balance on all fours. I sagged against the sheets, utterly spent, and Godric sagged right on top of me, crushing me against the bed.

I started laughing, and Godric joined me as he eased out of me. We settled in our favourite post-amazing-sex-position, Godric on his back and me lying draped half on top of him. And as I slowly drifted off in a deep, satisfied sleep, I knew this time Godric wouldn't leave me when dawn came.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I woke to the unfamiliar feeling of a cool arm draped across my waist, and an equally cool leg wormed between mine. Godric was spooning me from behind, and I carefully turned around to look at him. His eyes were closed, and his face seemed relaxed. He looked like he was sleeping, except that his chest wasn't rising or falling. I decided not to think about that too long, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then his lips, and reluctantly got out of bed to take care of business in the bathroom.

It was already well past noon, so I decided to get on with my day. I rummaged through my duffel bag, dressed in denim shorts and a pink shirt, and then teleported straight to the living room of my own house.

Cautiously, I examined every room, checked every door and window, and sent out power to check the wards, but there was no sign that anyone had been there or had tried to force entry. That allowed me to relax as I gathered my magical supplies and set up a small cauldron in the kitchen. I selected a pair of small, golden hoop earrings from my jewellery box, and added them to the cauldron with the necessary ingredients. I chanted the appropriate words, pushed my power and my will into the charm, and with a puff of smoke and one more chant the charm was ready.

I put the earrings in my ears, and felt the comfortable hum of their power in the back of my mind. Shield charms like that usually didn't last for more than a few days, but they certainly were effective. Or rather, I hoped it would be effective against a telepath. I'd never tested it against a telepath before. But Godric's reassurance that the telepath would not be allowed to read my mind calmed me.

I performed a few menial tasks around my house; cleaned up the kitchen and the bathroom, put some laundry away, and read my email and browsed the net for a while. I decided to cook a big dinner for myself, thinking that once our guests arrived that evening and we went out to find the traitor there might not be much time to eat, and if I ended up needing to use my magic tonight for whatever reason, I'd best make sure I had enough energy.

Then I packed up my laptop, grabbed a book to read, and teleported straight back to Godric's bedroom. Now that I knew its location, I had no problem doing that.

I undressed, settled in the bed beside Godric, and read my book, waiting for him to wake up. I was determined to watch Godric wake up (I'd never seen a vampire do that), but the book was so engrossing that I completely missed it. About two hours before sunset, just as I turned a page, I felt his stare on me. I glanced to the side, and saw two blue eyes staring at me. There was joy in those eyes, and I smiled at Godric just as he smiled at me.

"Good morning," I said, closing my book and tossing it in the general direction of the night stand.

"Good afternoon," Godric replied, sitting up a little so he could give me a kiss. "Did you sleep well?"

"I slept _very_ well," I said honestly. "It was nice waking up beside you."

"I agree," Godric said, nuzzling my cheek. "This is something we should do more often." I all but melted in his embrace at those words, and we kissed for a little while before we decided to take a shower together. This inevitably led to sex up against the shower wall, and when we were both sated and clean we got dressed in comfortable silence.

Godric always dressed in comfortable clothes in earthy tones, and the closet in this house was filled with more those. I'd asked him once, why he preferred these kind of clothes, and he'd answered me that he'd spent so much time in such ridiculous outfits throughout the ages, trying to pose as a human, that now that he could be himself he preferred just plain comfort over anything else. I couldn't really blame him for that. Of course, that conversation had led to a discussion about human fashion throughout history, and after much nagging on my part, I'd gotten Godric to confess that yes, he had worn one of those silly white wigs, once popular with the European elite, on numerous occasions when he was pretending to be human. I laughed so hard at that I almost fell off the bed, and after an uncharacteristic eye roll Godric decided to punish me by pinning me to the bed and fucking me until I could no longer remember my own name, which was not really punishment at all.

At sundown, Godric made a phone call to Isabel. "I want every vampire and all their humans at the nest at midnight. There will be no exceptions. Anyone who is not there will be punished." He sounded pretty pissed off, and I wondered what Isabel would make of this. So far, we were the only ones who knew there was a traitor. Even Joseph didn't know about the traitor, just that some of the bugs had been tampered with.

We ended up in the kitchen after that. Godric had a bottle of blood, and I had some leftover chicken casserole I'd brought with me the previous night. I washed up my few dishes after we were finished, and then there was nothing left to do but wait.

It was funny how differently we approached this waiting game. Godric sat on the couch like a statue, his body still, his expression blank. And I kept shifting on the couch, tapping my foot against the floor, always looking for something to do with my hands. For the first time in a long time I actually longed for a cigarette, but I quickly dismissed that and had a can of Coke and some chocolate chip cookies instead. After all we'd been through, I figured I deserved them.

And finally, _finally_, just before 11 pm, the doorbell rang. Godric strolled to the door, and I tittered behind him, trying with all my might to appear collected and cool.

Godric opened the door to reveal a tall vampire - a very tall vampire - with shoulder-length blond hair and bright blue eyes, and a well-muscled physique. Huh. When Godric had talked about Eric before, he'd obviously failed to mention his child was such a looker.

"Godric," Eric said with a deep bow. He sounded almost awed, and I wondered how close their connection actually was.

"Eric," Godric said with a warm smile, as warm as I'd ever seen it. "Thank you for coming. Let me introduce you to my human, Turid."

Eric straightened up and eyed me with interest.

"Gosh, you're tall," I said before I could stop myself. That earned me a chuckle from Godric and a curved eyebrow from Eric. Then I remembered my manners. "Hi," I said, with a little wave. "I'm Turid. Nice to meet you, Eric. Godric has told me so much about you." Eric's other eyebrow shot up at that information and he looked positively surprised. I guess Godric really did know his child well.

Godric and I stepped away from the doorway. "Please come in," Godric said, and Eric sauntered inside, his eyes never leaving me. Now he was frowning. I grinned at him, which only made him frown deeper. I was so engrossed in my little exchange with Eric, I almost missed the other people in the doorway.

A young, blonde woman stood there, with a dark-haired vampire by her side.

I gaped. The girl was black and blue, as though someone had used her for a punching bag. I glared at the vampire beside her. Had he beaten the crap out of her? I knew vampires could treat their humans poorly, and I also knew Godric didn't allow such behaviour in his area. He found it distasteful, and it also drew too much negative attention to the vampire community. But apparently this vampire had no such qualms.

Godric glanced at Eric. "You did not mention your telepath would be in such poor condition."

Now, I knew Godric, and I knew how he meant those words; not as an insult, but rather as an observation, perhaps even laced with a little concern for the girl. But apparently, the dark-haired vampire didn't understand the spirit in which those words were said.

He hissed at Godric, which made both me and Eric tense up, and we briefly glared at each other as we noticed this. "Respect her!" the dark-haired vampire demanded. Godric didn't move an inch, his face an impassive mask.

"If you want us to respect her, maybe you shouldn't be beating on her," I blurted, before I could help it. Eric snorted beside me, as though trying to hide his laughter, and Godric offered the dark-haired vampire a serene smile.

This pulled the dark-haired vampire up short, and he looked at me as though I'd just told him the sun would never set again.

"Bill didn't do this," the telepath said, finally deciding to join the conversation. "A serial killer came after me five days ago. He did this. He looked worse, though."

Huh. A serial killer. "Was this in California?" I asked, unable to deny my curiosity. It was the only active serial killer I knew about, thanks to the Feds. Godric offered me an amused look. He understood what I was asking.

"No. Louisiana," the telepath said, eyeing me curiously. I eyed her right back. She was pretty enough, under all the purple and yellow that adorned her face, though her dress looked like it had been a tablecloth at one point.

"Let me make introductions," Eric said. "Godric, Turid, this is Bill Compton and Sookie Stackhouse."

"Thank you, Eric," Godric said, closing the door behind Bill and Sookie. "Now, let's get settled so we can bring you up to date. "

Godric and I sat on one couch, Sookie and Bill took the other, and Eric lowered himself in a leather chair, his long legs stretched out. Godric launched into the tale of the Fellowship of the Sun, their threats against the vampire community, my spying mission, and how we suspected a traitor had given me away.

Just then, I felt a brush of _something_ against my mind, and my shield charm kicked in, its power washing over my skin in a warm wave.

"Hey!" I yelled, interrupting Godric. I glared at Sookie. "You stay the hell out of my mind!"

0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N: Yes, I'm cruel, leaving it there. Now, in case anyone wonders, there's not going to be any Sookie bashing, or bashing of any other characters. However, I try to portray the interaction between the characters realistically, and when two stubborn women meet, there's bound to be some head butting. So that's all it's going to be. **

**The next chapter will be up soon (though perhaps not tomorrow. Holland is playing the football world cup finals, after all. If they win, I may be too busy partying). Thanks everyone for reading, as always. Let me know what you think of the story. Reviews are always welcome! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sookie stared at me with wide eyes, her cheeks burning red.

"Miss Stackhouse," Godric said reasonably, as he gave my hand a brief squeeze. "We have many humans for you to read later on, however, Turid is not one of them. You are not to read her mind, understood?"

Sookie gave a quick nod, and that seemed to be that. But just as Godric continued explaining the situation, I felt another brush across my mind.

Before, I'd been more startled than anything else. Now, I was getting pissed.

"She just did it again," I hissed, pointing an accusing finger at Sookie, who shrank back against the couch, Bill going rigid beside her.

"Miss Stackhouse," Godric said, still sounding reasonable, but I could tell from the tightness of the corner of his mouth that he was becoming angry. Godric didn't like people ignoring his orders. Eric could tell, too. He leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands behind his head, and seemed ready to enjoy the show. "Were my orders just now not clear enough?" Godric asked, his stare pinning Sookie in her place.

"I'm so sorry," Sookie said with a nervous twitch of her lips. "Sometimes I just don't know I'm doing it."

I snorted. "How can you not know you're doing magic?"

"Magic?" Sookie squeaked. "I don't do magic. I just have a disability, and sometimes it's hard to control."

I stared at her. As did everyone else in the room.

"I mean, I don't know if magic's real," Sookie continued, now in full-blown babbling mode. "Maybe it's real, I don't know. If vampires are real, magic could be real, too, for all I know, but I'm not doing it, no sirree."

I opened and closed my mouth for a few times. "Of course you're doing magic," I finally said, when no one else spoke. "Telepathy is magic, whether you learn it or you're born with it. What the hell else would it be?"

Glancing around the room, I hoped someone else would help me explain this, but it was a fool's hope. Bill still sat rigid, looking as though he'd rather be eating glass, Godric was studying Sookie with a tilt of his head, as though he'd just discovered a new species of rare arboreal frog, and Eric was smirking, obviously enjoying this turn of events.

"Oh, for goodness' sake," I said, feeling very close to exploding. "You're a telepath, and you're with a vampire. How can you not know about magic?"

Sookie swallowed. "I've only been dating Bill for three weeks now."

I glared at Bill, and he glared right back. If looks could kill, I might have been a bit deader at that point. "You're keeping this human, and you're dragging her to supernatural gatherings, and yet you haven't explained a thing to her?" I asked, exasperated.

"We are not here by choice," Bill snarled, and I felt Godric stiffen beside me.

"You might want to explain that, Mr Compton," Godric said, his voice becoming downright frigid. "Because I am paying your human a generous amount for her services, and I was under the impression I had entered into a business agreement with her."

"No, no, it's okay," Sookie said, waving her hands helplessly. "You're right Mr...Godric. I'm just here to do the job you're paying me for."

Bill, in the meantime, was exchanging a look with Eric, and it wasn't a friendly look. Bill's face pinched tighter, and Eric's smirk grew wider. I'm not sure what the conclusion was of this stare-off, or if there was a conclusion at all, but at some point Bill turned to look at Godric and slightly inclined his head.

"Forgive me," he said, though he did not sound at all sincere. "You're right. Sookie is here to do a job for you."

"I am glad to hear that," Godric said, relaxing against me just a bit. "However, your human still hasn't answered the question. How come she is a telepath with a vampire companion who knows nothing of the supernatural world? And why have you not bothered explaining a few things to her?"

"Well, like Sookie said, we've only been together for a short while," Bill said, sounding a lot smoother now. Sookie nodded along with him, obviously wanting the conflict to end. "There hasn't been time yet to explain everything to her. And she hails from a small town. I am the first supernatural she's met."

I wasn't buying any of it, but decided to keep that opinion to myself. "Allow me, then," I said, my anger now replaced with an odd sense of pity. I couldn't imagine having magic, yet not knowing a thing about the supernatural world.

"Sookie," I said with as much patience as I could manage. "Vampires are just the tip of the iceberg. A lot of creatures you know only from myths and fairy tales are actually real. Werewolves and other shifters, elves and fairies, goblins and leprechauns, sprites and nymphs, trolls and demons, and many others all share this world. Oh, and of course, witches." I waved at her. "Hi, nice to meet you."

"You're a real witch?" Sookie asked, astonished. "What kind of magic can you do?"

"Well, I could turn you into a toad to demonstrate my magic, if you like?"

Sookie paled, Godric gave me an admonishing look, and Eric started snickering. Bill had reverted back to his death glare.

"Oh, just kidding," I said, and leaned into Godric and gave him a quick kiss. "Let's get this over with so we can find the traitor."

Godric smiled at me, and I settled against his side as he finished explaining the situation. I felt one more brush across my mind, but I didn't comment on it, though I did give Sookie a pointed look. She offered an apologetic smile in return. It all made more sense now. She'd been born with a form of magic, yet she'd never even known it was magic. She'd thought she was disabled, for goodness' sake. And that made me wonder how on earth this girl had been able to even grow up, with this kind of ability and obviously such poor control of it. How had she not gone nuts?

After Godric was done filling our guests in, we came up with a simple plan. We'd go to the nest, Godric would interview the humans, and Sookie would sit to the side while listening to their thoughts and taking notes until we found the traitor.

We sought out our cars, Sookie and Bill filing into their rental Ford, and Eric opting to ride with Godric and me. I settled into the backseat, and the moment Godric pulled out of the driveway, Eric started talking Godric's head off in a language I couldn't understand. Godric must have sensed my slight annoyance, because he made eye contact with me in the rear view mirror and grinned, but he still didn't revert back to English, so I stuck my tongue out at him.

At some point it sounded like they were having an argument, but then again, I didn't know what constituted a normal conversation between them. And since I couldn't understand them, they might as well have been discussing the weather, for all I knew.

When we arrived at the nest fifteen minutes later, we found the house packed. I stayed close to Godric as we walked inside the living room. Isabel approached us at once.

"Sheriff," she said with a nod. "All are here but two."

"Who are missing?" Godric asked.

"Allison and..." Isabel swallowed, "Hugo."

Huh. I couldn't see either one of them as the traitor. Allison, even though it hadn't been her choice, had adjusted reasonably well to life as a vampire, and I knew she shared a close and happy bond with her maker, Gerald. And Hugo was smitten with Isabel. Both his behaviour and aura confirmed that.

Godric and I shared a glance, and I shrugged. Gerald joined us and nodded at Godric.

"I called Allison earlier, and she said she'd be here," Gerald said. "She can be a little forgetful at times, though."

"And I informed Hugo of this meeting, and he assured me he'd be here," Isabel said, not meeting Godric's eyes.

"We will allow them a bit more time," Godric said. "But they will be punished for their tardiness."

Both Isabel and Gerald nodded, and Godric went about giving instructions to set up a table and lead in humans one by one for the interviews. Godric didn't explain why we were having the interviews, nor why Sookie was there, and no one asked. They knew better than to question their Sheriff.

I made a brief visit to the kitchen to get some drinks for Sookie and myself; a bottle of water for her and a glass of orange juice for myself. I stood to the side as Godric began the interviews, and sipped my juice, listening with interest. He asked simple and direct questions: have you ever been a member of the Fellowship of the Sun, have you ever given them any information about the vampires of this area or their humans, do you have any intent to ever harm a vampire, and so on and so forth. And at the end of each interview, Godric glanced at Sookie, and she shook her head 'no'. And then the next human was brought in to start the process all over again.

After I finished my drink, I took a break and headed towards the bathroom. I didn't tally, though, eager to get back to the interviews, so I barely checked my hair and makeup after washing my hands. I stepped out the door, and ran into a vampire in the hallway right outside the bathroom.

It was Eric.

"Turid," he purred, leaning casually against the wall.

"Hey Eric," I said. "Did you need anything?"

He gave an absent shrug. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Sure," I said, figuring he wanted to get to know his maker's human a bit better.

Eric leaned closer. "I want to know what spells you've cast on my maker, witch." He spat the last word out as though it left a foul taste in his mouth.

"Huh?"

"Don't play coy," Eric said, his eyes narrowing. "I have known Godric for a very long time, and he has never taken a human before. _Never_. So you must have done something to him. Did you bewitch his mind?"

I was so taken aback by Eric's accusations, my eyes actually welled up with tears. I refused to let them fall, however, so I stared at Eric without blinking.

"Where did he find you?" Eric asked, leaning closer still.

"Ask Godric," I said, my voice much softer than I wanted it to be.

"I'm asking you."

"And I'm telling you to ask Godric. It's not just my story to tell."

"Or maybe you don't want anyone to know how you lured him in. Have you bespelled his mind into forgetting your first meeting?"

"What?" I asked, beyond confused.

"Godric wouldn't tell me how you've met. I think it's because he cannot tell me."

"You think wrong."

"Oh no, I think I'm right about you, witch. How else would a vampire like Godric ever defer to you, seek your council, trust you?"

"Er...because he gave me his blood and he can feel my every emotion?"

Eric growled. "Is this what it's about? You are after his blood?"

"Oh for..." I was getting sick and tired of his attitude, so I squared my shoulders and got in his face. "Now you listen to me, Eric. How long has it been since you actually saw Godric? Decades? Guess what? People change."

"Not vampires," Eric snarled.

"Yes, vampires," I snarled back. "And if you'd bothered to stay in touch with your maker, you'd actually know that. How much do you know about what's been going on in Godric's life during the last decade. Or the last year. Or even the last few weeks. I have not cast any spells on him. I've only warded his properties, at his request."

"Then tell me how you've met," Eric stubbornly demanded.

"I can't." I nodded towards the living room, where more than a few vampires could probably hear our conversation. Eric seemed to catch on.

"Very well. Then we will talk elsewhere." And with that he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the crowd. There was no way I could refuse him; he was far too strong. But I knew that if I got into serious trouble, Godric would come running, so I went willingly, more or less. He didn't stop dragging me until we were out the backdoor and reached the very end of the private back yard. A wooden bench stood against a tall hedge, and Eric pushed me onto it before seating himself beside me.

"Now tell me."

I sighed. "Very well. Godric and I had a similar...problem. We met, by chance, and discovered we had this similar problem. So we talked, and we bonded, and that was that."

Eric was staring at me as if he was seeing water burn. "What possible problem would see a vampire like Godric ever consult with a witch?"

"A personal problem," I offered, hoping against hope he'd just drop the subject. No such luck.

"What. Problem." His fangs snapped to attention, and that did it.

"You know what, Eric? You want to know the story? I will tell you, but don't you dare get pissy about it afterwards. How did Godric and I meet? It's simple. Godric wanted to meet the sun, and I wanted to toss myself off the highest building. Turns out, we both picked the same building. Instead of seeking our final death, we talked. And then the next night when he came over to my house, we talked some more, and then we fucked. And that's pretty much what we've been doing ever since. Talking and fucking."

Eric blinked. Once, twice, and then he snarled, grabbed the front of my dress and yanked. "You lie, witch!"

"No, she does not," Godric said, stepping out of the shadows to our right. "Now release my human, child."

"Master," Eric mumbled, letting go of me at once.

Godric walked up to us as if he didn't have a care in the world, and sat down between us. I immediately curled myself against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face against his shoulder. I started trembling, and I couldn't stop it, no matter how I tried. I'd so much wanted to like Eric. I knew how important he was to Godric. But now I couldn't even understand how Godric could ever have turned such a...a...complete jerk.

"You were wrong to accost my human like that, Eric."

"Forgive me," Eric said, though he didn't sound all that repentant.

"This is neither the time nor the place to discuss my relationship with Turid. I told you this in the car."

Ah. So they had been arguing. And about me, no less. I lifted my head a bit so I could look at the two vampires.

"Turid," Godric said, rubbing my back with soothing strokes. "You must understand that one of a vampire child's strongest instincts is that to protect their maker."

"Sure," I said, unconvinced.

"You know how unconventional a relationship between a vampire and a witch is," Godric continued, holding me a little closer. "Eric was concerned for my safety, though he went about it the wrong way."

"You don't say." I glanced at Eric, and was surprised to see he seemed to be taking in every detail of Godric and me, as though he'd never seen two people hug before.

"Master," Eric said, after we'd all sat in silence for a while. "The witch said - "

"The witch has a name," Godric snapped.

Eric grumbled for a moment, and then squared his shoulders. "_Turid_ said you were seeking to meet the sun."

"Yes," Godric said simply, and offered no further explanation, which seemed to frustrate Eric to no end. He even became a bit restless, which was highly uncharacteristic for a vampire of his age.

"But Godric," Eric said with a slight pinch to his voice. "Why would - "

"And now I don't," Godric said, with a significant look at Eric. "I had become wary of my existence. Then I met Turid, and she brings me such joy that I have found a renewed interest in my life."

Eric seemed to consider that with great care. He leaned back in his seat, his body going still as his gaze fixed on the stars above us.

"What would it take for you to trust Turid is not harming me?" Godric asked, and I raised my head to take in Eric's reaction. I very much wanted to know the answer to that question.

Eric looked at Godric and narrowed his eyes. "I am not sure. It was you who taught me never to trust a witch."

That was news to me, and I looked at Godric with wide eyes. But Godric merely shrugged, though his lips did twitch as though he was suppressing a smile.

"As it turns out," Godric said, and now he did not hold his smile back. "I was wrong."

"I'm not harming Godric," I said, a little desperately. I wanted so very much for Eric to believe that. "I ..." But I couldn't say that I loved him. I'd never said those words before, and now was not a good time to spring that on Godric. "He is the most important person in my life. He _is_ my life. Without him, I'd be dead right now."

His gaze fixed on mine, Eric studied me, his brow drawing closer in a frown. "Is she speaking the truth?" he asked, glancing briefly at Godric.

"Yes. She has had my blood. I would know it if she lied," Godric said with certainty.

Again, Eric studied us, his eyes roaming over every inch of us as Godric held me tightly in his embrace. "She could have bewitched you into believing she speaks the truth."

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I said, trying to pull away from Godric, but he wouldn't let go of me.

"She reeks of power," Eric said urgently, as though willing Godric to believe him. "Such power I have never smelled before. How can you be sure -"

"Would it put your worries at ease if you could feel her?" Godric asked, staring straight into Eric's eyes.

"You mean - "

"Yes, if you exchanged blood with her, and you could sense her emotions, would you be willing to consider that my relationship with Turid is genuine?"

"Whoa," I said, feeling a slight panic grip my chest. I wriggled desperately against Godric. I so did not want to exchange blood with another vampire, not even Godric's child.

"Turid," Godric said, with all the patience in the world. He cupped my chin so I had to look up into his eyes. "Would you rather Eric looked at us with suspicion for the rest of our days, or that he accepted you and your relationship with me?"

Well. If he put it like that. I sagged against Godric, suddenly exhausted.

"You are both important to me," Godric said, looking between Eric and me. "And I will not have you regard each other with suspicion. Please consider this, Turid."

I buried my face against Godric's neck. I shouldn't have been surprised by Godric's suggestion. They were vampires after all, and when it came to vampires, it was all about blood. I sighed. "Okay," I whispered. "But only with Eric. I do not want to exchange blood with anyone else, ever."

"Eric?" Godric asked.

"A blood exchange would be acceptable," Eric said, though he did not sound at all happy about the idea.

"Good. Then that's settled. Now, let us wrap things up in the nest so we can go back to the safe house and make the exchange." And with that, Godric pulled me up from the bench. My knees were so weak, I had to hold onto him as we walked back to the house, Eric right beside us. The idea of exchanging blood with Eric was a frightening one. That, and strangely exhilarating.

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A/N Thanks for reading, everyone! You all are going to have to wait until tomorrow for the blood exchange and other intrigues. Just know that this story is far from over. And reviews always make me write faster. I've got to get ready to watch Holland in the football finals now! Go Holland!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Why don't you go to the kitchen and get something to drink," Godric said to me as we were standing in the hallway. "I will announce the interviews will be continued tomorrow evening."

Godric gave me a lingering kiss, and I watched him walk towards the living room, Eric on his heels. I was grateful for the moment of quiet because my emotions were in turmoil. Which was probably why Godric had offered me a moment to myself, I realized with a smile. I hurried towards the kitchen, which was empty, thankfully, and yanked the fridge open.

My first thought was to get a glass of orange juice, like always, but then I spotted a bottle of white wine. What the heck. I deserved a drink. I poured myself a generous glass and downed half of it in one gulp.

Had I really just agreed to share blood with another vampire? I quickly downed the other half, and permitted myself a refill. What was I thinking? But Godric had suggested it, so he obviously was all right with it. And I did not want Eric angry with me, even if he had no right to be so suspicious of me in the first place. I knew how important Eric was to Godric, how close their bond was. And I had to admit, if this kept the peace between us, if this would allow Eric to accept Godric and me as a couple, then perhaps it was worth it.

As I sipped my second glass of wine, I heard voices just outside the kitchen.

"The agreement was for one night," Bill said in a strained voice.

"And now Godric has decided he needs her for two nights. Sookie agreed to this job. Take it up with her," Eric said airily.

"What is so important the interviews can't be concluded right now?" Bill demanded.

I could practically hear Eric shrug. "Ask Godric."

"Is this some desperate attempt of yours to spend more time with Sookie?"

"Bill, you're becoming paranoid."

Bill chuckled, and his tone became almost smug. "Perhaps I should inform Godric you have designs on _his_ human. I don't think that would end very well. You are but a visitor here, and Godric is the Sheriff. He is also much older than you."

My jaw dropped. Didn't Bill know Godric was Eric's maker? Apparently not.

"Whatever do you mean?" Eric asked.

"I saw you follow Godric's human to the hallway. Both of you were gone for an awfully long time. Did you glamour her?"

"Turid and I merely had a... _private_ conversation," Eric said, but the way he said it made it sound like we'd fucked our heads off.

I clapped a hand over my mouth so I wouldn't burst out in laughter. My goodness, if Bill only knew!

Bill must have thought he'd won the lottery. "I take Sookie home tonight, or I'll inform Godric you're stealing his human."

"You're welcome to tell Godric whatever you like, Bill. But if you take Sookie home before her work here is done, I'm afraid I'll have to cut our other agreement a little short, too."

"You wouldn't," Bill said.

"Of course I would. I wonder how Sookie would like it, if Jessica moved in with you. You still haven't told her about Jessica, have you?"

Bill grumbled something, and with that the conversation ended. I assumed Bill had stalked off.

Who the hell was Jessica? Was Bill cheating on Sookie? I took a large gulp of wine.

"Liquid courage?" Eric asked from the doorway. I hadn't heard him move closer.

"Something like that. Who's Jessica?" I asked innocently.

"Someone Bill would rather not have in his life," Eric said, and that told me exactly nothing.

"So I guess Bill doesn't know about your connection to Godric?" I asked, even though I already more or less knew the answer.

Eric shook his head. "He believes he can threaten me by holding Godric over my head. It is rather amusing."

I giggled. "It would be even more amusing if he actually went and voiced his suspicions to Godric."

Before we could stop ourselves, we both grinned. And just like that, the memories of the first time Godric and I had exchanged blood flashed through my mind. How he'd fucked me so hard we'd wrecked my old couch, how he'd growled at me to bite him, how I'd passed out from the sheer intensity of it all.

My cheeks flushed, and within seconds the blush spread across my body.

"Are you two ready?" Godric asked from the doorway. He was standing beside Eric, who was looking at me with interest. I quickly downed the rest of my wine, and slammed the glass down on the counter.

"Sure," I said, wondering what the hell just happened. "Everything all right out there?"

Godric walked up to me, grabbed my hand and gave me a brief kiss. "Allison and Hugo are both still unaccounted for. I have told Isabel and Gerald to track them down and bring them to the nest tomorrow evening."

I nodded. "I can't believe either one of them would have something to do with this."

Godric shrugged, and gently pulled me with him towards the front door. "We will see tomorrow night. For now, we must focus on other things." The way he said it made my body respond in an entirely inappropriate way, and the blush, which had only just left, returned with a vengeance. Eric chuckled as he walked behind us, and I snapped my head towards him and glared. This only made him chuckle a little louder.

Stupid vampires and their super senses. And then I vaguely realized that the wine was having an effect on me. My head was swimming just a little bit, and my senses were just a tad duller than usual. After having not had a drink for months, it was to be expected that two glasses of wine could have that effect on me. And perhaps it was for the best, considering the circumstances. A little liquid courage might be exactly what I needed.

The car ride back to the safe house was a subdued affair. Godric and Eric didn't talk much, and I spent the time in the backseat brooding. My emotions were still in turmoil, and I kept second-guessing my decision to go through with the blood exchange. A few times I came close to telling Godric the deal was off, but then I remembered that without it, Eric might be suspicious of me forever, and that would hurt Godric. And the last thing I wanted to do was hurt the man I loved.

After Godric parked the car in front of the garage he opened the door for me and offered me a hand to help me out. I gratefully accepted, and I followed him quietly inside the house until he stopped in front of the bookcase and pushed it aside.

He wanted to do this in the bedroom?

"Er..." I said, squeezing Godric's hand. "We can use the couch."

"It will be more comfortable in here." And with that, Godric pulled me inside the bedroom. Eric was right behind us, and he shut the door with an ominous click.

"Just focus on me," Godric said, as Eric sat down on the bed and removed his shirt. I tried not to stare. Why did he have to be half-naked for this? But just as I was about to protest, Godric reached behind me and pulled the zipper of my dress down.

"Whoa!" I gasped, but Godric silenced me with a fierce kiss, his mouth demanding submission with firm strokes of his tongue. Such a kiss had an effect on me, no matter how nervous I was, and before I could stop myself, I moaned and leaned a little closer to Godric, who brushed his hands across my shoulders and my dress fell to the floor.

And just like that, I was standing there in my black, lacy lingerie.

I pulled back from Godric and made a few weird movements with my arms, considering covering my mostly naked self.

"It will be painful if you're not in the right mood," Godric said, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck to pull me closer.

"I can do painful," I insisted in a strained voice.

"Perhaps," Godric said, kissing his way down my cheek and towards my neck. "But I could not bear to witness it."

I couldn't think of anything to say to that. Godric trailed his hands down my back, still gently mouthing at my neck, and wrapped his hands around my butt, pressing my entire body against his own.

Oh my. Godric was having a _very_ good time, by the feel of it.

And feeling his arousal pressed against me did wonderful thing for my slightly hesitant libido. I arched against him before I could stop myself, and I wormed one hand between our bodies to trace the outline of his hardness through his pants.

Godric pushed me backwards until I felt the edge of the bed against my legs. And then, with his hands still cupped around my butt, he lifted me bodily until I sat in the middle of the bed, a decidedly naked and male form suddenly pressed against my back.

Eric was naked? Why was he naked?

I looked down and saw two long, pale legs on either side of me, and then two pale hands, which were not Godric's, wrapped around my front and stroked across my breasts. Those hands must have done something behind my back, because my bra slid down my body, and someone tossed it to the side. Those pale hands kneaded my naked breasts and pinched my nipples, and I heard Eric rumble behind me, "Very nice, little witch."

I jerked in surprise and delight and disgust, and then Godric gently grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. He was kneeling naked in front of Eric and me - and when the hell had he taken his clothes off? - and gave me a reassuring smile.

"This way, it will be pleasurable for all of us," he whispered, and he hooked his fingers around my panties, pulling them off with the kind of momentum only a vampire can use.

I was stunned. Godric wanted there to be nakedness, and everything else that might logically follow from that? I wasn't sure I liked his sudden eagerness to share me.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a healthy, young woman, and just like most healthy, young women I've had my share of fantasies that involved me pressed between two naked guys. So that wasn't necessarily the issue. I was just worried that Godric, who'd always been so possessive of me, was now perfectly fine with another guy's hands on my boobs. Was he already growing tired of me? Was he passing me on like some vampires did with their humans?

Godric must have sensed my feelings of rejection, because he leaned closer and pressed a firm kiss against my lips. "You are mine, Turid, and you will always be mine. Never doubt that. But Eric is mine, too, and to have you both here like this together...it is the greatest pleasure I can imagine."

Well, if he put it like that.

Eric was still using his very skilled hands on my breasts while he licked and kissed my neck, and Godric put his hands on my thighs and pushed a little. "Spread your legs for me, my dear heart," Godric whispered, and such a strong bolt of arousal shot through my body I trembled against Eric.

I did as Godric told me, and opened my legs, hooking them over Eric's. And there I sat, exposed, and Godric stared down at my wet centre with a look on his face that can only be described as pure hunger.

"You smell delicious," Eric whispered in my ear and nipped at my earlobe, just as Godric slid two fingers inside me, and I was done for. Any objections I might have had melted under the heat of my arousal, and I bucked my hips, urging Godric's fingers in deeper, and I pressed back against Eric, feeling him grin against my neck before he sank his fangs into me.

I groaned, but only from pleasure, as Godric's fingers worked me harder and harder while Eric sucked gently on my neck. My pleasure was building, and I watched through hooded eyes as Godric grabbed Eric's arm, bit into his wrist, and brought it to my mouth. I parted my lips and Eric's blood seeped down my throat in small, sweet waves. Godric bit into the other side of my neck with a growl, and I exploded into a bright cloud of pleasure as my body clenched around Godric's fingers.

And there I sat, limp and helpless from my release, as two vampires feasted on my neck, drank my blood, and it was without a doubt the most exciting, the most arousing moment of my life.

Eric pulled his wrist away from my mouth, and I moaned and licked my lips at the loss. As if on cue, both vampires released my neck, and Eric urged me to lie down on my side. He pressed himself against my back, raised my leg, and with a single thrust he entered me.

I was shocked, and not from Eric's size; he was most definitely bigger than Godric. No, I was shocked that Godric let him. But Godric seemed quite pleased with this turn of events. He lay down in front of me, pressing close enough so he could kiss me with an urgency that had me aroused all over again, despite my recent climax. Godric lowered his hand and started teasing my clit with his fingers as Eric thrust into me from behind.

Between Godric's expert strokes and Eric's frenzied thrusts, I came again all too soon, and Godric pulled back from my mouth so Eric could replace him. Eric's lips were forceful against mine, as he half-hovered over me, never slowing his hips down. I responded to his lips and tongue as best as I could while my body was still soaring with pleasure. Eric growled into my mouth, his thrust becoming more erratic, and then he stiffened and came with a cry.

But instead of allowing me a moment to catch my breath, the second Eric pulled out of me Godric pulled me closer, hooked my leg over his hips, and thrust inside of me.

I thought I might black out as Godric hammered inside of me, his arms holding me in a tight lock, but then his body slowed down and he kissed me, and it was gentler than before. I submitted myself to him, and our bodies started moving together like they usually did; without so much urgency, but no less intense.

It didn't take long until I was overwhelmed by yet another orgasm, and this one drew my body tighter and tighter around Godric until it almost became painful. Godric stroked his hands down my back, and kissed my lips and my face and my neck, and then he came with a soft grunt, pressing me as close as he could without harming me. He held me for a few moments more, and pulled out of me, forcing me to sigh at the loss.

I rolled onto my back, and immediately Eric shifted closer until he was lying against me. He caressed my breasts, making me hiss when he pinched my now overly sensitive nipples, and he buried his face in my neck, gently lapping at the little wounds there. Godric pressed against my other side, his hand softly stroking my thighs and my belly, his mouth finding the wounds on the other side of my neck, and he lapped at them.

Eric's hand moved lower and lower down my body, until he dipped a finger between my folds and swirled it around a few times before bringing it up to his mouth. I stared at him as he took his time licking and tasting me, and it had to be one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen.

Eric gave me a satisfied smile. "I can see why my maker is so infatuated with you, little witch. You really are delicious in every possible way."

Godric chuckled in response, and I tried to smile at Eric, but my body was numb and my mind was empty, and before long I was floating close to sleep. I let Godric's and Eric's quiet words in that language I couldn't understand lull me into a deeper and deeper state of rest until I knew no more.

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I woke up with Godric pressed against my back, spooning me as he'd done the day before. But this time, there was a cool body pressed against my front as well. Eric lay on his back, and I was lying against his side, my face resting in the crook of his shoulder. Both Godric and Eric were still dead to the world.

Well, I guess that whatever we did last night must have been convincing enough for Eric if he was now willing to spend his daytime rest with the wicked little witch.

I snickered at my own thoughts, and curled a little closer in Godric's embrace. I was still exhausted, and I had no clue what time it was, but lying there in my lover's embrace, with my other lover right there was quite comfortable. I made myself no illusions that my little tryst with Eric had been a one night affair, but it had been very pleasurable, after I'd gotten over the doubt and the shock of it.

And if this had made Godric happy, and Eric less suspicious of me, well, then it certainly had been worth it.

I dozed off again, and didn't wake up until I felt Godric kiss my shoulder. Eric was still out cold for as far as I could tell. Godric was twice his age, so it made sense he woke up before Eric would.

I rolled over in his embrace and saw Godric smiling at me.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, kissing me softly on my lips.

"Like I've been fucked senseless by not one, but two vampires," I mumbled against Godric's throat, and he rumbled with laughter.

"But you enjoyed it, yes?" he asked, and I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, I did, eventually," I said, and then I couldn't stop a little of the worry and rejection I'd felt the night before seep back into my mind.

Godric, of course, noticed at once, and he leaned back a little to look me in the eye. "Turid, you must understand that a bond between maker and child is more intimate than anything a human could ever imagine. My blood is his blood, and his blood is my blood. Sharing you with him was only natural."

"Okay," I said, feeling a bit better.

"But I would never share you with anyone but Eric. Ever," Godric whispered, and now warmth flooded me as my feelings of love for Godric returned with full force.

"So I guess Eric's over his hissy fit now," I said, nodding at Eric over my shoulder.

Godric chuckled. "Yes, it seems we were able to convince him last night."

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps we should go for another round, just to make sure," Eric said, his eyes still closed. I let out a startled shriek, and then giggled as Godric started laughing.

"As tempting as that sounds," I said after I caught my breath, "I'm not sure I'm up for that. I kinda feel - "

"Like you were fucked senseless by two vampires," Eric offered, as he rolled onto his side and pressed against my back.

"You really do take after your maker, don't you?" I said, and glared at him. "You both enjoy eavesdropping way too much."

"Oooh," Eric said with a smirk. "You accuse me of eavesdropping, little witch, after you did the same to me last night?"

"I could hardly not eavesdrop last night, since you were having your little spat with Bill right outside the kitchen," I countered with an indignant huff.

Godric, who'd been watching us with amusement, said, "You had a spat with Bill?"

Eric shrugged against my back. "Bill is selfish and overprotective when it comes to his human. He wanted to take her home last night."

"Yeah," I said with a giggle. "He was prepared to go to you, to tell you Eric was trying to steal me away from you. He'd seen Eric follow me to the hallway."

Godric threw his head back and roared with laughter, and Eric and I joined him.

"So, who is Jessica?" I asked, after we'd all calmed down.

"Bill's child," Eric said, and I gasped at that revelation. Here I'd thought Bill had a girlfriend on the side or something, but instead he had a child Sookie knew nothing about?

"He killed a vampire for his human last week," Eric explained, while both Godric and I frowned. "And as punishment he had to make a child. But he didn't want her, so he's dumped her at Fangtasia."

"He refuses to take responsibility for his own blood?" Godric said, his voice darkening. And I knew with certainty that any goodwill Bill might have had with Godric for lending him his human had just flown out the window. Eric merely nodded.

"And Sookie doesn't know about this?" I asked, wondering if Bill even really cared for Sookie. She certainly seemed to think he did.

"No, she doesn't have a clue," Eric said with a very satisfied smile. "Which is fine with me, since it allows me to collect on a few favours from Bill. It's how I got him to bring Sookie here on such sort notice."

"Poor Sookie," I whispered. She seemed like a nice enough girl, and I wondered how she'd ever even gotten involved with a vampire. Perhaps I'd get the chance to ask her. I glanced at Godric and I knew with certainty if Godric ever kept something like that from me, our relationship would be in serious trouble.

As always, Godric sensed my thoughts, and he smiled. "I would not keep something like that from you, Turid."

"I know." I pressed a kiss to his lips. And I did know. Godric had not kept anything from me during our time together. He'd been brutally honest about both the good and bad things in his life. And I appreciated that more than anything.

And for a while longer Godric, Eric and I talked and laughed, and while we didn't have a repeat performance from the night before, it was comfortable and enjoyable, and there was a sense of intimacy that made my chest fill with warmth.

Godric's phone rang, and that pulled us out of a story Eric was telling about the time Godric and he had posed as noblemen in 17th century Italy, which had led to a whole string of misunderstandings with a local artist as they had commissioned a portrait from him. Godric retrieved his pants from the floor with vampire speed, and clicked open his phone.

"Gerald...that is concerning...we will be there after first dark." He clicked his phone shut, and looked at me (Eric probably had already heard the entire conversation). "Allison didn't return to the home she shares with Gerald last night. He tried calling her through their bond, but she has not responded."

I was speechless for a few moments. Allison was missing? "What could have happened to her?" I asked.

"That is what we have to find out." Godric pushed himself up from the bed. "I suggest we get ready so we can leave here at first dark. Gerald is meeting us at the nest."

We showered, Godric and I sharing, and Eric filing in with Godric after I was done. I dressed quickly in jeans and a white shirt, not wanting to bother with a dress, and I left the safety of the bedroom before Godric and Eric so I could get something to eat. It was still half an hour until sundown as I fixed myself a large sandwich, and ate it alone at the kitchen table. My worry for Ally grew by the minute. Something had to have happened to her. Something bad. She wouldn't stay away from Gerald without a very good reason. She loved him, and he was her maker.

I downed two glasses of milk, and nibbled on a few potato chips as I waited for the sun to set. The moment it did, Godric and Eric left the bedroom, and we got in the car and hurried towards the nest.

When we got there, Gerald was waiting for us outside the house.

"When was the last time you spoke to her?" Godric asked, as we walked inside the living room.

"Last night. Isabel called me to inform me of the meeting. Allison had already left our house at that point, so I called her on her cell phone. She said she would be here. She sounded fine."

"Where was she at that time?"

"At the Bat's Wing. To hunt. She goes there often," Gerald said. The Bat's Wing was a vampire-owned bar, and lots of vampires went there to pick up willing fangbangers for a quick snack. Stan, Lisbeth, and a few more vampires joined us and a few theories were discussed. Drainers, rival vampires, and the Fellowship of the Sun all seemed the most logical suspects.

The moment Bill and Sookie arrived, a few vampires turned towards them and looked at them with some suspicion. This was not surprising. They were new, and besides Godric, Eric and me, no one knew for sure why they were here. Bill went rigid under the attention, and Sookie began to fidget with her purse and gave me a questioning look.

I shared a glance first with Godric, who nodded at me, and then with Eric, who winked at me. I rolled my eyes, but just as I wanted to make my way towards Sookie, Eric pinched my butt. I slapped his hand away, gave him a glare, but decided to ignore his answering smirk.

"Come on, Sookie," I said, gently pulling her away from Bill by her elbow. Bill did not look pleased, but I couldn't care less. "Let's get something to drink in the kitchen."

"What's going on?" Sookie asked the moment we entered the kitchen.

"Allison has gone missing," I explained, as I poured us both a glass of orange juice. "She's the youngest vampire of this nest."

"If I can help, let me know," Sookie said, and sipped her glass.

"Thanks. The rest of the vampires will be bringing their humans in later, so you could go through their minds then. They might know something they're not telling us."

Sookie nodded, and then looked at me with a frown. "You should be careful with Eric," she said seriously.

"What?" I asked, and I took a large gulp of my juice to hide a giggle.

"Bill told me he has designs on you," Sookie said, and I bit my lip to stop another giggle. "Eric's really mean."

"He's a vampire," I said, as though that explained everything. It did to me. But apparently not to Sookie. She looked at me with wide eyes. "All vampires are mean," I added, carefully taking in Sookie's reaction.

"Not Bill," Sookie said, and sipped her glass again. "Bill's a gentleman."

I had to fight the urge to bang my head against a kitchen cabinet. If only she knew what Bill was hiding from her. But I knew it wasn't my place to tell her. We barely knew each other; she might not even believe me if I told her.

"Sookie," I said with as much patience as I could muster. "How long have you known Bill? Three weeks? How much do you really know about him?"

"He risked his life to save me," Sookie said with heat in her voice.

"That's nice. But how well do you really know him? He's lived for a long time, and you've only known him for a few weeks," I insisted, but Sookie wouldn't have any of it.

She shook her head. "Bill's been nothing but a gentlemen to me while we've been dating."

I released an exasperated sigh. "Vampires don't date. Vampires possess."

"Bill's mainstreaming," Sooke insisted.

"That doesn't suddenly turn him into a human! He's a vampire, and vampires don't date. You are his. He owns you, at least in his eyes."

Sookie looked doubtful for a moment, and then she took another nosedive straight into denial. "I am my own person. Sure, Bill's had to tell a few other vampires I'm his, but that was just for show, so they wouldn't hurt me."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Sookie gave me an indignant glare. I'd apparently really ruffled her feathers.

"What about Godric," she demanded. "He treats you with respect, I could tell. Are you telling me how owns you, and you're okay with that?"

I briefly closed my eyes and tried to find the right words to explain this to her. "Godric is old, very old, and as far as vampires go, he's a good guy. He respects me, and he cares for me, but he's still a vampire, and that means that I'm his human. He owns me. Period."

"And you accept that?" Sookie asked in disbelief.

"Of course I do. If I couldn't accept that, I shouldn't have entered into a relationship with a vampire."

"Well, Bill's not like that," Sookie insisted. My goodness, this woman was stubborn. That, and completely clueless. I suddenly feared for her life, if she couldn't even grasp this about vampire behaviour. How was she ever going to survive in the supernatural community?

"Do me a favour," I said to Sookie, about ready to give up on this conversation. "Ask Bill what would happen if you broke up with him. Or if you cheated on him."

"I would never do that!"

"It doesn't matter. Ask him what would happen. Better yet, ask yourself what would happen."

Sookie frowned, and drank the last of her juice. "Well, Bill can be a little possessive.

"Ah!" I threw both my hands up. "There. Bill is possessive, because he owns you. At least in his mind he does."

Sookie seemed to consider that, but before she could reply we heard the front door slam shut, followed by some loud voices.

"Come on," I said to Sookie, and when we entered the living room, I said to her, "Go straight to Bill." But I shouldn't have bothered. She was in Bill's arms before I reached Godric. I stepped close to him and looked at the people in front of us.

Hugo sat on the floor, looking completely dishevelled, and Isabel was looming over him, looking more angry than I'd ever seen her.

"Sheriff," Isabel said, with venom in her voice. "I caught Hugo when he was trying to flee the city."

Hugo made a sound of protest. "I had a business meeting out of town. I cannot forsake my job."

"You were summoned to the nest last night, Hugo," Godric said, his eyes narrowed. "Yet you did not come. And now one of our kind is missing. Tell me what you know of this."

"Nothing," Hugo said with wide eyes.

And just then, I heard Sookie gasp behind me. Both Godric and I turned at once to look at her, as did most other vampires in the room.

"He knows," Sookie said, clinging closer to Bill. "He told them."

"Who," Godric demanded with a snarl.

"The Fellowship of the Sun," Sookie whispered. "He spies for them. They have Allison."

And with that, all hell broke loose.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Gerald roared like a lion and threw himself at Hugo, knocking me on my butt as he zoomed past. Isabel pounced on Gerald, either to protect Hugo or claim his vengeance killing for herself. And when Stan decided to get involved and rushed towards the heap of snarling and clawing vampires, an arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back to the other end of the living room.

Eric, I saw when I looked over my shoulder. I was grateful he cared so much for his maker he was willing to look out for his maker's human.

"ENOUGH," Godric bellowed, louder than I'd ever heard him. He reached down and physically yanked Gerald and Isabel off Hugo, while Stan slowly backed up, snarling so fiercely he was spitting.

Hugo, surprisingly, was still in one piece, though he was bleeding from several deep gashes on his face and chest, his suit ripped to shreds. So Isabel had protected him; he'd have been minced meat if she hadn't. But if Hugo believed Godric had offered him a reprieve, he was wrong. Godric clamped his hand around Hugo's throat and bodily lifted him off the floor until Hugo was dangling from Godric's grip, feet kicking uselessly at nothing but air.

"Traitor," Godric growled, "Tell us what you know before I carry out your sentence."

"I haven't done anything wrong," Hugo said, his voice painfully strained by Godric's grip. He tried to struggle, but it was useless. Hugo was no match for Godric's strength.

"So now you are not only a traitor, but also a liar." Godric waved vaguely at Sookie with his free hand. "That human is a telepath, and she can see right into your mind."

Even though it didn't seem possible, Hugo paled further, the blood dripping down his face a stark contrast with his almost ivory complexion.

Everyone in the room who hadn't know about Sookie's talent before was now studying her with a frightening interest. Sookie shrank back further in Bill's embrace under the sudden attention.

"Where are they keeping Allison?" Godric asked. He gave Hugo a little shake, drawing a painful groan from him, when Hugo didn't answer at once.

"The church," Hugo gasped. "The basement."

"What is their intent?"

Hugo started crying, his tears leaving watery trails across the blood that coated his cheeks. Between sobs, he whispered, "Tie her up outside."

"When?" Godric growled.

"This coming dawn." Hugo's sobs were drowned out by a howl from Gerald, followed by snarls from all vampires in the room.

"There is only one punishment for such treachery." Godric drew Hugo closer so their noses practically touched. "Tell us everything you know, every detail about these savages, and I will make it quick. Tell us nothing, and I will hand you over to Gerald."

Hugo's sobs morphed into wails, just when someone called, "You can't kill him!"

Every head in the room turned towards that voice.

It was Sookie. "That was a condition of my work for you. Any humans implicated by me can't be killed," she said bravely, and I wondered if she had a death wish.

Around the room eyes narrowed and fangs were bared. Some vampires even took a step closer to her.

"I know of no such condition," Godric said, staring at Sookie as though he wanted to wrap his other hand around her throat.

"Oops," Eric said behind me. "It must have slipped my mind."

Sookie glared at Eric, and again I wondered if she had a death wish, if she even realized in how much danger she was. In the vampires' eyes, she was siding with a known traitor. Just for that they could kill her. Bill seemed to realize, though, and he hugged her a little closer. "Sookie," he whispered. "Now is not the time."

"But, Bill - "

"Miss Stackhouse," Godric said, his voice becoming frostier by the second. "Is this human's life worth more than Allison's?"

Sookie opened her mouth, and then wisely closed it again.

"Is this human's life worth more than Turid's?" Godric asked, and Sookie glanced at me in bewilderment. It took me a moment, too, before I realized that of course, Godric was still pissed off about what had happened to me. Frankly, considering all that had happened in the past few days, I'd almost forgotten.

"Because of this human, Turid was captured by these savages, and had it not been for her extraordinary magical talents, they would have raped and murdered her," Godric said, and I blinked. I hadn't told Godric about the potential rape scenario, but I should have known that not much gets past him.

Sookie opened her mouth again, but Bill shushed her with an admonishing, "Sookie!"

"I am more than willing to deal with humans, to negotiate with them and to treat them with all the respect they deserve," Godric said, his eyes never leaving Sookie. "But I cannot and will not allow a human guest to tell me how I should run my area." And with that, he squeezed. A loud crunch echoed through the otherwise silent room, and Hugo's lifeless body dropped to the floor.

I wondered if Sookie even realized that in a way, her protests had ensured Hugo an immediate death sentence. Godric had offered Hugo a little more time if he cooperated, and who knew what else might have happened during that time. But now that a human had protested, there was only one thing Godric could have done to save face without killing Sookie as well.

"Clean this up," Godric told Stan and Lisbeth.

Sookie was crying quietly against Bill's shoulder. I turned and shared a knowing glance with Eric. There was no way Godric could have spared this human and still have kept the respect of the vampires in his area, not after Sookie had protested so loudly.

Perhaps I should have been shocked that my boyfriend, the man I loved more than anyone, had just committed murder, but surprisingly I wasn't. I understood there was no other possible outcome. What else could Godric have done? Take Hugo to the authorities? He hadn't actually done anything that would have earned him more than a slap on the wrist from the police. And yet, Hugo had endangered my life, and might be partially responsible for Allison's final death if we couldn't get her out before dawn.

No, I couldn't blame Godric for doing what he'd done, and I hurried over to him and gave him a deep nod to show him my support. I'd really wanted to hug and kiss him, but I understood enough about vampire behaviour that such actions might be seen as a weakness on Godric's behalf.

And then Godric surprised me by kissing me as he wrapped an arm around my waist. I leaned my head on his shoulder for a few moments, as Godric stroked my back. "Thank you," he whispered into my ear. To hell with it. I turned my head and kissed Godric with all the love and passion I could find at that moment. Godric smiled against my lips and drew back.

"Sheriff," Gerald whispered, kneeling on the floor in front of Godric. "My child...we have to get her out."

"We go in and kill them all," Stan growled, his shoulders hunched.

"No," Godric said in a resolute voice. "We will get Allison out, but we will not do it by killing more humans."

"But Sheriff," Stan started to say, and immediately Godric glared at him in a way that shut him up.

"I can get her out," I whispered before I even realized what I was saying.

"What?" Godric said, clearly startled.

But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. "I've been in that basement, Godric," I said, while Gerald looked up at me. "I can teleport in, grab Allison, and teleport straight back out."

"No," Godric said, shaking his head. "I will not put you in danger."

"Sheriff, please," Gerald said. "The witch is powerful as shit, by the smell of her. She could do this."

"I really could," I told Godric. "I'm good at teleporting, you know this."

Godric frowned. "Take someone with you, Turid. I will not send you in alone. Eric?"

"Yes, Godric," Eric said as he stepped closer. "I will go with Turid."

"No," I said, much to Godric's surprise. "I cannot teleport with more than one other person. Eric would just slow me down." I gave Eric a little apologetic shrug.

"I can take care of myself," Eric said, clearly offended by my words.

"Still, I would be quicker by myself. In and out."

"Are you sure you can do this?" asked Godric as he studied my face.

I offered him my bravest smile. "Yes. Absolutely. And this way, there will be no bloodshed. No human or vampire will get hurt."

"Very well," Godric said, and I gave him a quick hug. "You have half an hour to find Allison and bring her back. If you haven't returned by then, we are coming in after you."

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." I stepped back from the group until I had enough space, closed my eyes, pulled my power inwards, and teleported myself straight to the basement of the Fellowship of the Sun.

I appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and saw that the cage they'd kept me in was empty. I looked around for a minute, making sure no one else was there, and then I followed the layout of the basement until I found a narrow hallway that led to a heavy metal door. Who was willing to bet Allison was behind that door? Well, I was, and I hurried closer. I tried the door and found it locked.

I could try to teleport to the other side of the door, but since I'd never been in whatever room lay behind it, there was a certain risk involved in it. It was probably easier, though a little more time consuming, to open the lock with magic.

I put both my hands over the lock, braced myself, and started the incantation, meanwhile focussing my power outwards. It was a lengthy incantation, and you had to get it right all the way through or else you could start all over again. Thankfully, I did get it right, and finally the lock clicked open, and I pushed against the door.

What I saw inside made my stomach turn.

They had Allison, all right. She was dressed only in her underwear, and she was completely wrapped in silver chains. And because the silver was touching her bare skin, she'd had no chance to heal any of the many horrifying wounds. The chains wrapped around her from head to toe, and were in turn padlocked into the wall at several places. The stench of burned flesh hung heavy in the air, and I had to steady myself so I wouldn't gag.

Well, this might take a little longer than I thought. I sincerely hoped I'd be able to open those locks before my half hour was up, as I did not want the vampire cavalry come storming in.

I kneeled beside Allison. "Ally," I whispered, but there was no response. Her eyes were closed and nobody was home. Not surprising, considering her many wounds. She hadn't fed in over a day, and a young vampire such as her needed a lot of blood even to function, let alone resist that much silver. But I knew vampires were resilient, and that with the right kind of care Ally would heal, eventually.

So I set to work. I wrapped my hands around the first padlock, and started the process all over again. Perhaps I should have Godric teach me how to pick locks. It would certainly be quicker than using magic. I chanted and chanted, focussing like I'd never focussed before, and then the first lock clicked open. I removed it, and shuffled towards the second lock. After much more chanting, and even more focussing, that lock clicked open as well.

And then the world disappeared, and darkness followed. Someone had knocked me over my head, I faintly realized as I swam in and out of consciousness. I'd been so focussed on my magic, I hadn't heard someone sneak up behind me. How fucking stupid was that?

Darkness and light danced through my mind, and I clung to the light with everything I had until I was able to make out my assailant.

It was Gabe.

I wasn't surprised. I was pissed off, however, and also scared shitless. I tried to control my emotions, knowing Godric would come running if I felt too distressed, and I didn't want Godric to come for me in a church filled with weapons designed to slaughter vampires.

"Welcome back, little bitch," Gabe said, smiling his creepy smile. He'd dragged me back into the hallway and he loomed over me as he undid his pants.

Oh, no.

_No! _

But Gabe paid no heed to my silent protests, as he shoved his pants down, his hard dick bobbing. I thought I was going to be sick, and I tried to move my body with all my might. But my head throbbed, and somehow that wound made it impossible for me to control the rest of my body.

Gabe started tugging on my jeans, ripping the button and zipper and yanking it down to my knees, taking my underwear with it.

_NO!_

And just as Gabe tried to roll me over so he could take me from behind, the image of Godric flashed through my mind, and that gave me strength I didn't have before.

I managed to raise my hands and press them against Gabe's chest, who stood looming over me, tugging on my shoulders. I reached deep inside me, deeper than I'd ever done, and not caring where it came from, I pushed whatever power I found out through my hands and straight into Gabe.

He exploded like an overripe tomato.

His chest just burst open, starting below his throat, all the way down to his groin. Everything came spraying and tumbling out, right on top of me. Warm blood splattered across my entire body while Gabe's insides fell on top of me in a heap of slippery pieces.

I wanted to scream, so desperately to scream, but no sound came out. What was left of Gabe's body sank to the floor beside me, and I started pushing at the warm, slimy things lying on top of me, at the _pieces_, and suddenly I knew with certainty that the demon was coming for me. I'd used its power, and now it wanted me, just like it had wanted Eliza, and my _pieces_ would be spread out around the room, my body would be lying hollow on the floor, just like Gabe's.

Godric entered my thoughts again, and with his image at the forefront of my mind I calmed down enough to know that no, the demon was not coming for me. I was here on a mission. I needed to save Allison.

I needed to focus.

_Focusfocusfocus._

My head still throbbed and my vision was still blurred, but I managed to turn over onto my belly. I pulled up my pants as well as I could, and I started crawling. I crawled across the slippery floor and I grabbed at slippery pieces, and everything was fucking _slippery_ and _red_, but I kept crawling.

Save Allison. I had to save Allison.

I crawled inside the room and made my way towards Allison. I was out of breath, as though I'd just run a marathon, and I knew I would never be able to open the three remaining locks. I didn't have the strength to do it, I didn't have the mental capacity left to focus.

Just as I was about to give up, to just lie there until Godric came for me, I noticed that because I'd already opened two locks, the chains had loosened.

_Perhaps_...I crawled closer, and started yanking at the chains, and they unravelled enough so I could pull them away from Allison. I kept pulling and pulling and amidst the clanking of metal I freed Allison from the burning silver. I had to lean on my hands and knees for a moment, to catch my breath.

Someone growled. It sounded awfully close.

I raised my head and saw Allison stare back at me. But with one look at her eyes, I knew she wasn't the peppy, sweet girl I'd come to know and care for. She was all predator. And a hungry predator at that. She was staring at me, her lips parting to reveal her fangs.

And I was sitting there, covered in Gabe's blood.

She pounced before I could even think of a spell to knock her out cold.

She knocked me over and tore at my throat. It hurt worse than anything I'd ever felt, and I screamed, but all that came out was a gurgle as Allison latched on. I tried to struggle, but even a vampire as young as Allison was much, much stronger than me. She pinned me to the floor, growling, and she drank and drank until I lost control of my body and I became cold, so very cold.

I tried, feebly, to teleport us both away from there, to Godric's nest, to safety, but my body was too weak, my hazed mind unable to grasp the power inside me.

The world seemed to shrink around me; everything I saw was suddenly surrounded by shadows that grew bigger and bigger, and with a final jolt of my body I realized I was dying.

_Godric. _

If I was going to die, I wanted my last thoughts to be of Godric, of his eyes and his smile and the way our bodies moved together. Of how much I loved him, and how I'd never gotten a chance to tell him.

But Godric wasn't my last thought.

Eric was.

Eric was there, or maybe he wasn't. Maybe I was dreaming. But the last thing I saw was Eric lowering himself over me, his mouth replacing Allison's as he drank my blood, his wrist pressing against my mouth.

And then darkness came and stole me away.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N: Just a short chapter today, but this was the perfect moment to leave it (sorry!). Tomorrow there will be a longer chapter. As always, thanks for reading, everyone, and let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

There was still darkness, but now I was aware of it. There were also arms wrapped tightly around me, and I knew with every fibre of my being those arms belonged to Eric. I wasn't sure how I knew. I certainly couldn't see him. I couldn't see anything.

It was damp and musty and heavy, where ever we were. I tried to move, and when I couldn't, I tried to struggle.

"Calm down," Eric whispered, and instantly my body relaxed. "Now we rise."

And he started moving, pushing and clawing, soil falling on my face, and I tried to wipe it off but all I touched was more soil. We were buried, I faintly realized, but just as I did Eric broke the surface, pulling me with him. The night's air was fresh and alive with a thousand scents, and one of them I knew only too well.

_Godric. _

We crawled out of the dirt and Eric sat down on the grass and pulled me close to him. Godric was there, I knew he was, so why was I clinging to Eric? I glanced around, and the whole world seemed so much brighter. I knew it was night, but the night had never been so colourful before. Gone were the blacks and blues and greys, and instead I saw every detail in every colour I'd ever seen, and some colours that were new.

Godric was crouching a few feet away from us, looking at us with an unreadable expression on his face. I longed for his touch, his kiss, his soothing words that everything was fine, and yet I couldn't let go of Eric.

"Turid," Godric whispered, and moved a little closer. I stared at him, and I didn't think he'd ever looked this beautiful before. His eyes were blazing and his skin was glowing, and when he finally smiled at me something broke inside me and I reached out my hand.

Instantly, Godric was at our side, and he caressed my face while he pressed his mouth against my hair.

"I will release her to your care," Eric said, even though his arms tightened around me. "If you wish it, Master."

Godric didn't answer for a few moments while his arm wrapped around my shoulders as though he were thinking of pulling me away from Eric. "No," he said at last, and there was regret in his voice. "Not yet. She needs her maker. At least for a while."

"As you wish," Eric mumbled, and I felt his mouth brush against the back of my neck.

"Come," Godric said, pulling away from us. "Let's get you cleaned up."

And before I could make any sense of the situation, before the conversation could sink in, Eric scooped me up in his arms and stood. And just as I saw we were standing in the meadow Godric had brought me to during our first meeting, Godric took off into the air, and Eric was right behind me.

I couldn't feel the wind or the cold, not as I'd felt them before when I'd flown with Godric. I felt Eric, though, but I felt more than just his body as he held me close. I felt him inside of me, as though every cell in my body had suddenly merged with him.

It didn't take long at all before we reached our safe house, and we zoomed straight to the bathroom. Eric set me down and started removing my clothing as Godric turned on the shower. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I gasped.

I was covered, head to toe, in dirt and caked blood and other things I didn't want to think about.

"We'll get you clean," Eric said, as he removed his own clothing. He also looked dirty, but nowhere near as bad as me.

Godric, who was also naked, took my hand and led me into the shower. The warm water felt good, as if I'd been cold all this time but hadn't realized it. Eric joined us, and even though we barely fit into the shower stall, Eric and Godric set to work.

Eric washed my hair as he stood behind me, running his fingers gently through the strands to remove any knots and tangles, and Godric rubbed me up and down with a bar of soap, his hands carefully washing away every speck of dirt and blood. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the warmth and the slow caresses. They took their time, and I didn't mind one bit.

When they were done and we just stood there under the spray, Godric asked, "How much do you remember?"

I frowned, and worked my brain to remember anything from before Eric had pulled me out of the dirt that evening. And slowly, some memories returned in bright flashes. Some made sense, and some didn't, but one stood out above the others.

"Gabe," I whispered, startling growls out of both Godric and Eric. "I killed Gabe with magic."

"Good for you," Eric said, and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. "We were wondering what had happened to him."

I examined my other memories, and another truth pushed itself to the forefront of my mind until I couldn't ignore it any longer. "Allison. She killed me." I turned my head and looked up at Eric. "And then you turned me."

"Yes," Eric said simply.

I looked at Godric and wondered why he hadn't been there. Why hadn't Godric turned me? I was pretty sure I'd much rather be Godric's child than Eric's, even though my body now seemed to crave Eric's touch as I pressed back against him.

"Turid," Godric said. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "We will explain everything. But please answer me this. Would you rather have met your final death than rise as Eric's child?"

I thought about that, and when another memory returned I knew the answer. "No," I said, and I was finally able to step away from Eric and closer to Godric. "As I lay dieing, I had one regret. I never told you I loved you, and I do. I love you very much. Just to have this chance to tell you, that makes it worth it." And I wrapped my arms around Godric's neck, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. Eric followed me and pressed against my back again, but I didn't mind. Eric's touch felt like the most natural thing in the world.

"I know," Godric whispered, and when he saw my confusion, he added, "I have been able to feel your emotions for a while now, Turid. I know you love me, as I love you."

I felt warm, truly warm, for the first time that night.

At once, Eric stepped away from us and turned off the shower. "We should explain the details to her," he said, and marched out the shower, tossing a few towels our way as he stalked into the bedroom.

I kissed Godric, and then I kissed him again, and we stepped out of the shower and dried off. None of us put on any clothing as we gathered on the bed, Godric and Eric both leaning back against the headboard, and I sat between them, facing them.

"What happened?" I asked, and Eric glanced at Godric and nodded.

"After you left, I realized I should not have let you go there without backup," Godric said, staring down at his lap. "I asked Eric to fly to the church, just in case something happened. You had his blood, so he could sense you." Godric nodded at Eric, who continued.

"When I was halfway there, I sensed some distress," Eric said. He looked me straight in the eye. "But it passed. But when I was nearly there, I felt your pain and I knew it was serious. I felt you slipping away. I tracked you and when I found you, Allison was draining you. She'd ripped your throat open, so you were bleeding out all over the floor. You barely had a spark left, so it was either turn you or watch you die. I knew my maker would be unhappy if he lost you, so I did what I had to do."

"What happened to Allison?" I asked, wondering if she'd ever made it out of the church. I was too shocked, still, to consider any of the other things Eric had told me.

"She's fine," Godric said. "I felt you slip away as well. Of course, when I got to the church, I was too late. Eric had already turned you, and if he hadn't, you'd have been dead at that point. I'd brought a few vampires with me, and Gerald took Allison home. She has recovered completely, and regrets what has happened."

"It wasn't her fault," I mumbled, and I believed that. You couldn't blame a starved young vampire from going after an available human. "And what happened to the body? To Gabe?"

"We told the authorities Allison killed him. That Gabe was torturing her and she got loose and killed him."

"The authorities?" I asked, confused.

Godric nodded. "That's what I was doing when - " He closed his mouth and looked away for a moment. "After you left the nest, that's why I didn't go after you myself at first, but sent Eric instead. I should have gone after you, but I didn't. I was preparing the evidence we had against the Fellowship of the Sun. Joseph delivered it to the police that night, and they raided the church the next day. Steve Newlin has been arrested."

"Well," I said, dumbfounded. "That's good, at least."

"Tell us what happened to you," Eric said, and I found it difficult to even consider denying his request. Was this because he was my maker?

I nodded, and started telling them what had happened. How I'd been busy unlocking the chains with magic when Gabe had hit me over the head, how I'd pushed all my magic into him, how he'd exploded, and how I'd been too exhausted to do anything but unwrap the chains from Allison.

"He must have hit you over the head harder than I thought," Eric said, shaking his head. "If you didn't realize unchaining a hungry vampire while you were covered in blood was a very bad idea."

I gaped at him. My goodness, he was right. How the hell hadn't I realized that? I wasn't stupid. I knew enough about vampire behaviour to know that. I wanted to smack myself for having been so incredibly stupid. "I panicked," I said, as I recalled the events. "I used power," I glanced at Godric, "I used _that_ power, and I panicked, and my head throbbed and I couldn't think straight. All I could think was that I had to save Allison."

Godric nodded. "If your head was seriously injured, it is no surprise you made such a mistake."

"So what happens now?" I asked, glancing between Godric and Eric. "I mean, I'm a vampire now." I thought about that for a moment. "This is so weird."

"Now you feed," Eric said, as Godric chuckled. Eric held out his hand to me, and I took it before I even knew what he meant to do. "Feed from me first," Eric said.

"From you?" I asked, bewildered. I'd figured they'd just give me a bottle of True Blood or something.

"Yes, and then from Godric. It will help make the connection between us strong."

I crawled into Eric's lap and stared down at him. He was waiting patiently, an amused smile on his face. I reached up and touched my teeth. They felt normal. "I don't have fangs," I whispered, wondering if something had gone wrong when Erid had turned me.

"Just bite me," Eric said with a chuckle. "They'll come out when you smell my blood."

It all sounded a little distasteful, but I let Eric push my head towards his neck, and he was right. The moment my nose touched his skin and I smelled the blood underneath it, my fangs snapped out with a click. I touched them briefly with my tongue and they were razor sharp, but soon I was too distracted by the scent of blood, Eric's blood, _my maker's _blood. I was running on instinct now, and I bit him, my fangs piercing his skin with ease. His blood flooded my mouth, and it was the best thing I'd ever tasted. It was what I needed, what I craved, and it brought my body warmth and life.

Eric moaned as I sucked and drank, and he positioned me in his lap, and entered me in a single thrust. He yanked my head away from his throat, and sank his fangs into my neck as he pounded into me.

I was too overwhelmed by his taste, by the feel of him inside of me, to protest. I knew Godric was right there watching us, but all I could think of was Eric was drinking my blood, Eric was fucking me harder than anyone ever had, and it was perfect and it was right.

I came at some point, my body clenching around Eric as his hands gripped my hips as he slammed into me. Eric pulled away from my throat and crushed his lips against mine. I tasted his blood and I tasted my blood, our tongues sliced open by our fangs over and over again. But it didn't hurt exactly. The wounds healed too quickly for that. Eric gripped me closer, and came with a growl.

I leaned back on my hands, our bodies still connected, and I thought I might be exhausted after such a round of mind blowing sex, but I felt fine.

I glanced at Godric, and he was looking at us with a small smile. "So your connection is sexual. That was to be expected."

"Isn't it always sexual?" I wondered aloud.

"Not always," Eric said as he admired my breasts with soft caresses of his hands. He seemed fascinated with them, and it made me grin. My fangs were still out, and I touched them with my tongue, carefully this time. It was such a weird sensation, to have fangs.

"So it wasn't sexual for you?" I asked, glancing between Godric and Eric. They shared a look, and both grinned. That should have told me enough, but Godric explained anyway.

"Our connection has been sexual at times." He shrugged. "It's waned a little over the years, but that's natural."

Godric and Eric together, intimately. That idea certainly had potential, and I giggled at myself for my naughty thoughts. But before I could think on it further, Godric held out his hand to me, and I crawled off Eric's lap, moaning softly as he slipped out of me.

"Now you will feed from me," Godric said, as I slid into his lap. He was hard, and without thinking I rubbed my wet centre across him. "Drink first, my dear heart," Godric said, grabbing my neck and lowering my head to his throat.

I knew what to do now, and even though I realized I perhaps should have been disgusted by the idea of doing this, it felt so natural that I couldn't find any objections. I sliced my fangs through Godric's skin, and I moaned when his blood hit my tongue. His blood didn't have that close connection that I'd felt when I fed on Eric, but his blood did taste of power, sweet and heady, so much power that it was intoxicating, and I sucked eagerly for as long as Godric let me.

When he pulled my head away, he flipped us over so I landed on my back, and he thrust into me as he bit my throat. I wrapped my legs around him, and then my arms, and I held him close, as close as I could as he pounded inside me. This was Godric, _my Godric_, and that meant something, even though the connection I felt with him wasn't as strong as I felt with Eric.

I loved Godric, and it eased my mind a little to know that would never change.

Godric brought me quickly to an orgasm, and he followed soon after, his body tensing as he buried his face against my throat and growled.

This wasn't about elaborate love making, I knew. This was about sating our hungers, and for vampires the hunger for blood and the hunger for sex often coincided. It was weird and strangely exhilarating to experience this for myself.

Godric pulled out of me, and I scooted a little closer to Eric so Godric could stretch out beside me.

Again, I expected to be exhausted, to want to doze off, but I felt fine. Sated, yes. Satisfied, yes. But also wide awake and ready for any kind of action. I blinked, and glanced between Godric and Eric, who both grinned at me.

"How do you feel now?" Eric asked, his hand returning to my breasts to stroke them.

I thought about that. Before, I'd felt rather numb and hollow, but now I felt alive and completely energized. I had needed the blood badly, apparently. "I feel great," I said honestly. I was a vampire now, and somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that once that sank in I might have some problems with it, but now I felt too good to care. "So what happens now?" I asked, knowing that was something we had to talk about. "I mean, you're my maker, Eric, but I'm also Godric's."

"We can stay for a few more days, but then we will have to return to my area," Eric said.

"_We_?" I squeaked, sitting up in alarm. I turned around so I could look at them both as they pushed themselves up as well.

"Yes. You are my child," Eric said, as though that answered everything. I didn't for me.

"Look, Eric," I said, trying to sound reasonable. "It's not that I object going somewhere with you. I don't. I can feel our connection. But I do object going away from him." I pointed a finger at Godric.

"Turid," Godric said, reaching for my hand. "It will be just for a little while. And then you can return to me, if you want to."

"A little while? That could be like a century in vampire years."

"No, not a century," Godric said, bringing my hand up to his lips so he could brush a kiss against my palm. "A few years at the most."

"A few _years_?" I was panicking now. I had to leave Godric for a few _years_?

Eric clamped his hand down on my shoulder. "Calm down," he growled, and I did at once.

"Shreveport is only three hours away," Godric said, and kissed my hand again. "We can visit, and we can write each other, and you can always call me. It's not as though we wouldn't stay in touch. I won't allow that."

"We could visit?" I asked, uncertainly. "Like I could drive up here in the weekends or something?"

Eric snorted, but didn't comment. Godric nodded with a smile.

"You have to understand, my dear heart, that Eric is your maker. Your connection allows him to teach you all you need to know in the best possible manner. And you need to learn a lot about being a vampire." Godric leaned closer and kissed me. "And when he's ready to release you, I'll be here for you." He kissed me again. "I will always be here for you, don't ever doubt that."

I sniffed, and suddenly smelled blood. I touched a finger to my cheek and it came back red. Great. I was crying bloody tears. How weird was that?

Eric pulled me closer and licked them off. I let him. Though I still felt a little apprehensive about the situation, Godric's words had reassured me somewhat.

"It'll be like a vacation," I mumbled, and Eric burst out into laughter, leaning his forehead against my shoulder.

Godric shook his head, but he was amused. "Only you could think of becoming a vampire as a vacation."

If I could have blushed, I would have. "That's not what I meant," I said with a little huff, and I slapped at Godric, and then I slapped at Eric, just for good measure. That only made Eric laugh louder.

"We should go to the nest so we can introduce you," Godric said, after we'd calmed down.

"We need another shower then," I said, ready to hop off the bed.

"No," both Eric and Godric said at once. Then they looked at each other and chuckled.

"But, we smell like we've just...you know." I hunched over a little and spread my legs, and I inhaled. My goodness, I could smell both Godric and Eric's fluids leaking out of me as clearly as I could smell them sitting across from me. "Everyone will know," I finished lamely.

"Exactly," Eric said, and Godric added, "It will let everyone know how much you matter to us, if they smell us on each other's bodies."

"Ah." I was a little uncomfortable with that idea, until I remembered that I'd been around all these vampires on numerous occasions, and they'd all probably smelled Godric on me before, and perhaps even Eric after our blood exchange. "Okay," I said with a sigh. I slid off the bed and entered the bathroom. I washed my face (I had blood caked around my mouth), and then quickly ran a damp washcloth between my legs to get rid of the worst of the mess. Not that it helped much. I could still smell Godric and Eric as clear as I could smell anything.

Godric and Eric were already dressed as I entered the bedroom, and Eric had apparently inspected the contents of my wardrobe. He held out my purple dress for me. "Wear this," he said, and then tossed a pink lingerie set at me after I accepted the dress.

I shared a glance with Godric, who looked entirely too amused, but I decided this wasn't a battle worth fighting. Besides, I liked the dress and thought I looked pretty good in it. Apparently, Eric agreed, and he eyed me with interest as I pulled my clothes on.

"Very nice," Eric purred, as I twirled around once to show myself off.

I quickly ran a brush through my hair, and as it was mostly dry now I decided to let it hang loose. I didn't bother with makeup, and after I stepped into my black heels, I was ready to go.

Godric handed me my purse (he'd apparently brought it back from the nest where I'd left it), and I followed them out of the house. But the moment I stepped foot outside, I became distracted by the colours and scents and sounds. It was as though I could absorb the whole world, and I kept looking up and down and left and right, and there were insects crawling through the bushes, and an owl hooting in a tree in the distance, and I heard someone laughing loudly in a house across the street, and I smelled flowers and earth, and -

Eric grabbed my elbow and yanked me towards the car, an exasperated look on his face.

"It's just so amazing," I gushed, but Eric ignored me as he stuffed me in the backseat and slammed the door closed. Godric was laughing quietly behind the wheel, and the moment Eric got in the car we were off.

"What happened with Sookie?" I asked after a while, as I remembered her precarious situation at the nest. "And Bill," I added as an afterthought.

"They went home," Eric said. "That same night."

"Yesterday," I said, more to myself than to Eric.

"Two night ago," Eric corrected me.

"What?" I leaned forward and stared at Eric.

"The night at the church, that was two night ago. It takes some time to make a vampire. We've been in the earth since then."

"Oh. Okay." I sat back and frowned. So I'd been dead for two nights. How odd. I didn't feel dead, though I knew that was the general opinion of vampires, an opinion I'd shared for most of my life. Vampires were dead people, right? But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't think of myself as dead. I felt alive, more alive than I'd ever felt, probably. The whole world was out there, and I couldn't wait to inspect every inch of it, to smell every scent and hear every sound.

And then it kind of hit me. I'd been _dead_. I gasped.

"Turid?" Godric asked, making eye contact with me in the rear view mirror. "What is wrong?"

"I was dead," I whispered. "Really, truly dead. But now I'm not."

"Well," Eric said with a shrug. "Opinions vary on that."

"But I don't feel dead," I insisted.

"None of us do," Godric said, while Eric snorted.

"And yet you have no heartbeat and no need to breathe. Draw your own conclusions from that," Eric said with the kind of practicality I'd come to expect from him.

I pressed my hand against my chest and inhaled deeply. There was no heartbeat, of course. And then I held my breath, but the expected struggle for oxygen didn't come. In fact, it felt rather natural not to breathe.

"This is so weird," I said, causing both Godric and Eric to snort with laughter. I gave a weak giggle, and then it hit me. If Eric hadn't turned me, I'd have stayed dead. I'd made a grave mistake, Allison had acted like a vampire would, and if Eric hadn't been there, hadn't felt the need to please his maker by turning me, I'd have bled to death right there in the basement of the Fellowship of the Sun.

I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Eric's cheek. He glanced at me in surprise. "Thank you," I said sincerely. He quirked an eyebrow. "I just realized that being your child is much better than being really, truly dead."

Eric smiled at me, and I turned towards Godric and kissed him on the cheek as well. "Sorry I was so incredibly stupid. Head wound or not."

Godric gave me a brief kiss in return. "I am just happy you are still here, albeit in a slightly different way."

"Me too," I whispered, as I settled back in my seat. And I meant it.

We arrived at the nest just a few minutes later, and this time it was Eric who offered me a hand to help me out of the car. He held onto my hand as we walked towards the house, and I knew that this was how I'd be introduced to the nest. I was no longer Godric's human. I was now Eric's child.

That made Godric my granddad, didn't it? I giggled at that thought, and when both men looked at me, I pointed at Godric. "You're my granddaddy."

Godric gave me an incredulous look and shook his head. Eric chuckled, though, and pulled me with him as we entered the house.

It looked so differently now. Well, not so much the house, but the people in it. The humans all looked rather dull, and most of them smelled terribly; like old sweat and semen and cheap perfume that made my nose itch. But the vampires looked amazing; they were glowing and it seemed as if I just could see more of them. As if I could see inside of them.

"Good evening, everyone," Godric said, as Eric and I stood beside him. "As most of you have heard, Turid was injured during Allison's rescue, and Eric was forced to turn her to save her. So I hereby present to you, Turid, child of Eric."

All vampires gave me a nod, and I nodded back at them.

"As most of you know, Eric is my child," Godric continued. "And therefore Turid is still under my personal protection."

I wasn't sure what that meant, so I made a mental note to ask later. Just then, Gerald and Allison approached us. Allison looked terrible, red tears staining her face. She dropped to her knees in front of us.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, over and over again.

Gerald went down on one knee. "Sheriff," he said, his head bowed. "My child has wronged you. She fed on your human, and because of this, your human died. Do with her as you will."

I looked at Godric in shock. He wasn't honestly going to punish Allison for this, was he? I crouched down in front of Allison and touched her shoulder.

"Ally," I said, shaking her a little to snap her out of it. "Ally, it's okay. I wasn't thinking clearly. Gabe had hit me over the head, hard, and I just wasn't thinking. Otherwise I'd have known not to unchain a hungry vampire while I was covered in blood. I don't blame you. I really don't."

"You mean that?" Allison, her voice trembling. I nodded. "Oh, thank you. I'm so sorry, Turid. When I realized what I was doing, it was already too late, and then Eric was there and he threw me against the wall, and he saved you. I'm so sorry."

Ally grabbed me in a bone-crushing hug, and for a moment I was worried, until I remembered I had super strength now, too, so I hugged her back with all my might.

"Well," Godric said with a small smile. "It seems as though Turid forgives your child, Gerald. Therefore I will not punish her too harshly. Allison, you will clean the bathrooms in the nest for three months."

Allison looked up at Godric with wide eyes, and nodded. "Yes, Sheriff. Thank you, Sheriff."

I smiled to myself. Cleaning bathrooms that were used by humans was a dreaded task for any vampire, and I knew Godric used it often to punish mild offences. He'd let Allison off the hook, yet was still punishing her. A perfect deal, considering the circumstances.

Ally and I pulled apart and rose to our feet. We exchanged a smile, and then Gerald led her away.

A few more vampires came to greet me personally, mostly vampires I'd gotten to know a bit over the last few weeks, like Joseph and Lisbeth. Isabel was missing, and I wasn't sure what had happened to her. I'd have to ask Godric later.

The last to greet me was Stan. He stopped in front of me and stared down at me with a grin. "My, sugar, don't you look pretty as a vampire. You've got a lot to learn now. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two later."

Eric growled at him, baring his fangs.

Sneering, Stan stalked off again, and I rolled my eyes while Godric chuckled. It was just Stan being Stan, and I'd gotten used to his attitude some time ago.

I looked around the room, and then said to Eric and Godric, "Excuse me, I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Eric asked when I'd already taken a few steps away from him.

"To the kitchen," I said, as I stopped in my tracks. "To get some orange juice." The moment I said it, I knew how ridiculous that was. I buried my face in my hands, and I heard Ally giggling madly from across the room.

"Never mind," I said, as Eric's arm wrapped around my shoulder. Godric was snorting with laughter, and I wanted to kick him and that stupid child of his, who was now chuckling in my ear.

"If you want something to drink, my little witch," Eric said, kissing my throat just below my ear. "All you have to do is ask. I think that will be your lesson for this evening. How to feed on a human without killing them."

I pulled back from Eric and blinked up at him. "What?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N Yeah, I went there. Poor Turid is now officially dead. I know some people were surprised by this turn of events, but really, the title of this story should have been a dead giveaway (all puns intended *g*) I've got some spare time today, so I might just be able to write another chapter later, or else, the tale will continue tomorrow. Thanks for reading, everyone, and as always, let me know what you think!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Before Eric could reply, five humans hurried towards us, all apparently quite happy to be my dinner. I stared at them, wrinkled my nose, and then looked at Eric and Godric.

I wasn't sure I wanted to do this. I loved Godric, so drinking his blood wasn't an issue, and Eric was my maker, so feeding on him was only natural, but these were smelly humans (and my goodness, had I smelled like that as a human?) and I had no appetite for them.

Oh, how I wished I could just order a pizza or something. Well, the days of takeout were over, but there was an alternative, of course.

"I can just drink True Blood," I whispered to Eric.

Eric narrowed his eyes. "I you choose to drink that vile concoction, that is fine by me, but you will learn how to feed properly on a human."

"Turid," Godric said, ever the voice of reason. "True Blood might not always be around, and in an emergency situation you might need to feed on a human. Do you want to accidentally kill your meal?"

He had a point, as usual.

"Choose one," Eric said. "Or I will choose one for you."

Sighing, I looked back at the humans. I knew them all vaguely, and I inhaled the air, smelling them one by one. Finally, I pointed at Robbie, a guy in his twenties with soft, curly brown hair and green eyes. He smelled the least offensive.

Robbie beamed at me, obviously very happy with my choice.

"You," Eric pointed at a brunette girl on the right. "Come with me." The girl's name was Jewel, or rather, she called herself Jewel. Her real name was probably Edith or Betsy or something. Jewel immediately tried to rub herself all over Eric, and before I could stop myself I growled.

I actually _growled_.

Eric looked at me with both surprise and amusement, and then he glared down at Jewel and pushed her away. "I did not give you permission to touch me."

"Sorry, master," Jewel said, while she lowered her eyes in a coy fashion and took a step back from Eric. I glared at her, unsure where my sudden possessive streak had come from.

Godric took this all in with obvious amusement, but didn't comment.

Robbie scooted closer to me and said, with a dazzling smile, "I'm all yours, Turid."

"No, you're really not," I said quickly. "Let's just think of this as a science experiment." I eyed him carefully. "You don't have any icky diseases, do you?" I asked, and immediately studied his aura to see if he was lying.

"No," Robbie said, surprised. "I'm a registered donor, and I have my blood checked every three months." He was proud of that, too, I could tell. I couldn't find any indication that he was lying, so I nodded my consent.

"All right," I said, and followed Eric and Jewel towards one of the bedrooms. Robbie stuck to my side, and Godric trailed behind us. I could hear him snickering. Bastard.

Inside the bedroom, Eric sat down on the edge of the bed and Jewel immediately kneeled in front of him. Godric and I stood to the side, with Robbie waiting patiently beside me.

Jewel pulled her tank top over her head, and she wasn't wearing a bra. I felt my body going rigid. But then I noticed Jewel had really small breasts, and somehow this pleased me to no end. Still, the thought of Eric's hands on those tiny breasts made me want to hit something.

And then Jewel started worming herself out of her short-shorts, and she wasn't wearing underwear, and before I could do anything to stop it my fangs snapped down, and not because I was aroused or hungry in any kind of way.

I clasped my hand over my mouth and stared at Eric, who was staring back at me as though he'd never seen anything funnier in his life.

Godric placed a calming hand on the back of my neck and rubbed softly.

"That won't be necessary," Eric said to Jewel. Her face fell, and she wormed herself back into her short-shorts. I wanted to do a victory dance.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what would have happened if Eric had fucked Jewel right in front of us, but I was sure it wouldn't have been pretty.

"Just watch as Eric feeds. See where he places his fangs, and note how long he drinks," Godric said to me, and I remembered this was supposed to be a lesson. So I shoved my insane feelings of jealousy aside, and looked how Eric pulled Jewel up into his lap. Jewel immediately started wriggling like a cat in heat, rubbing herself against his chest.

I bit right through my lower lip with my fangs. "Ow," I said, and pouted. The wounds closed at once and Godric leaned in and licked the few drops of blood away.

Eric placed his hands on Jewel's hips. "Hold still," he said, and then brought one hand up and turned her head to the side so he had proper access. And with his eyes fixed on mine, he brushed his nose across Jewel's throat to look for the perfect location, and then sank his fangs into her throat.

Jewel started moaning as though she'd just had multiple orgasms, and I actually took a step forwards, my lips curling up in a snarl. Godric's hand on my arm stopped me, and I did my very best to look at the scene objectively, but it was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do in my life.

Eric drank Jewel's blood for less than a minute, and then pulled away, licking his lips once. "You may go," he said, and gave Jewel a little shove so she almost fell to the floor before she found her balance. She gave him a dirty look, pulled on her tank top, then gave me an even dirtier look and stomped out of the bedroom.

I was pleased to note that Eric hadn't touched her breasts once.

"Now you, my child," Eric said, and motioned for Robbie and me to use the bed as he got up.

I looked at Robbie. "You sure you want to do this?" Robbie nodded. "I'm not going to have sex with you, just so you know," I told him. I didn't want him to have false expectations, like Jewel so obviously had suffered from.

"That's okay," Robbie said with a smile. "You've always been nice to me, Turid. I'm glad to help you with this." He seemed to mean what he was saying, so I smiled in return and then looked up at Eric and Godric.

"Now what?"

"It's easiest if you sit across Robbie's lap," Godric told me, and Robbie sat down on the bed and pulled his shirt off. I figured he didn't want to get any blood on it, so I didn't comment. I crawled onto the bed and settled across Robbie's lap. Godric and Eric took up positions on either side of us.

"Now just smell him, smell his neck," Eric said. I looked at him dubiously. "I've been doing this for a while, trust me," Eric said with a cocky grin, and I sighed and pressed my nose against Robbie's throat, but I didn't inhale.

I just sat there as I realized this was my reality now. Sure, it was easy to say I was okay with being a vampire when comparing it to being really, truly dead. But now I was faced with this new reality, and I could no longer deny this specific part of it. Godric had been right, very right. I was going to be around for a long time, hopefully, and there wouldn't always be artificial blood at hand. I'd have to eat people, if I wanted to live.

"You're not smelling him," Eric said, but he sounded more amused than angry. Godric stroked his hand down my back, and that was all the encouragement I needed. I inhaled.

Oooh.

There it was.

_Blood. _

I gripped Robbie tighter around his shoulders just as Eric said, "Don't bite him yet."

I whined. My instincts were kicking in, and those instincts were telling me one thing: _bite him. _

"Listen for his heartbeat. Can you hear it?" Godric asked me. He kept stroking my back. I nodded. It was easy to hear Robbie's heartbeat.

"Now feel his heartbeat," Eric said, and I wasn't sure what he meant. "Press your lips against his throat and _feel _his heartbeat."

I did as Eric told me and brushed my lips across Robbie's throat, and there it was: _da-dum, da-dum, da-dum_. I could feel it as clearly as though my own heart had just started beating again. "I feel it," I whispered, and licked across Robbie's throat. I wanted so very much to bite him, so very, very much, and it was a feeling I couldn't have stopped even if I wanted to.

"Now bite him," Eric said, and at once I sank my fangs into Robbie's skin. Robbie grunted once, but it didn't sound like he was in any real pain.

Blood seeped into my mouth, sweet, delicious blood, and I pulled my fangs out and sucked as hard as I could. It wasn't as powerful as Eric and Godric's blood had been, but it still tasted pretty damn good.

"Feel his heartbeat," Godric whispered, and I tried to focus.

_Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. _It still felt the same. I sucked more and swallowed all that delicious blood. It tasted like nothing I'd ever tasted before, and I couldn't imagine how real food had ever brought me any satisfaction in the past. This was what I wanted, this sweet elixir that was pure life.

"Feel his heartbeat," Eric said, and I felt it. It could have been my imagination, but it seemed to slow down a little. "Now you pull back," Eric said.

I stayed put. A whole herd of rabid elephants couldn't have pulled me back. I sucked and sucked, and when I felt Eric's hand on my neck, gently trying to dislodge me, I growled.

This one was mine, and his blood was mine, and I was going to drink every last drop of it, to hell with Godric and Eric.

"Turid," Godric whispered, right beside my ear. "Remember the demon? Remember Eliza lying in the desert in pieces?"

I gasped in shock as cold memories flooded my mind and I pulled back and stared at Godric with wide eyes. Why would he say that? Why would he remind me of -

Oh.

I looked at Robbie, who was looking back at me with hooded eyes. "Did I take too much?"

"Nope," Robbie said with a smile. "I'm fine."

"Okay," I said, suddenly uncomfortable. Here I'd wanted to drain the poor guy, and now I couldn't look at him. "Thanks, Robbie. I really appreciate it." I slid off his lap and leaned back against Godric.

"Anytime," Robbie said, and pulled his shirt back on. I guess for him this was business as usual. Robbie scooted off the bed, gave us a wave, and left the bedroom, closing the door behind himself.

"That went better than I thought it would," Eric said, and I stared at him. Was he nuts?

"I wanted to drain that poor guy," I said, horrified at myself.

Eric waved my worries away. "You felt his heartbeat, and I'm sure you felt it slow down. Not many new vampires can even do that."

"But - "

"All new vampires want to drain humans," Godric said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "You'll grow out of it soon enough. But Eric's right. When you can feel their heartbeat, you'll learn quickly when to pull back."

"Oh." It was good to hear I'd grow out of it, but the idea that I wanted to drain humans still made me very uncomfortable.

Godric glanced at Eric. "It appears that your child has a possessive streak."

"No shit, Sherlock." It wasn't until Eric fell back onto the bed laughing, that I realized I'd said that out loud. I looked at Godric with wide eyes, but thankfully Godric was laughing, too.

"What was that all about?" I asked, looking between the two of them. "I've never been - I mean, that wasn't - I really don't - " And then I just buried my face in my hands, while Eric and Godric were laughing so hard the bed shook.

"This isn't funny," I finally said. Eric looked up at me and grinned. I slapped his chest, and his grin grew wider.

"It is just a side effect of your new bond with Eric," Godric said. "It will probably pass soon enough."

"Probably?" I shrieked, which made Eric roar with laughter all over again. "Goodness, this is just embarrassing. Am I going to lose it every time Eric has a meal?"

"Aww," Eric said, and grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. "But you're so pretty when you're jealous."

"This really isn't funny," I insisted with a little huff. Eric pulled me closer still, and rubbed his groin against me. There was no mistaking what sort of mood he was in.

"But since you deprived me of all that little donor had to offer me, maybe you should take care of my problem." And again he rubbed his groin against me.

I glanced at Godric, and then looked back at Eric. "No way. I'm not doing that with a dozen vampires down the hall, listening to our every sound."

Eric pouted. Yes, he actually pouted. And then he pointed at his crotch. "But this is uncomfortable."

"Aww," I said, with my sweetest smile. "But you're so pretty when you're uncomfortable." And then I quickly slid off the bed, giggling madly.

Godric sat hunched over, laughing so his shoulders shook. Eric looked entirely put out. He pushed himself up on his elbows and gave me a wicked grin. "You'll pay for that later, my child."

"I'm looking forward to it," I said with a wink, and scurried out of the bedroom.

I ended up in the kitchen, not because I had a reason to be there, but because that's where I'd always ended up before. Ally was there, and she gave me a bright smile, and then made a gesture around her own lips.

"What?" I asked, and Ally pointed at the microwave. I looked at it, saw my own reflection, and noticed the bloodstains around my mouth.

"Well," I said, as I grabbed some paper towels and held them under the tap. "That can be the second lesson. How to suck blood without making a mess." I dabbed at my face until I looked presentable again.

"So how was it?" Ally asked me with a grin. "You fed on Robbie, right?"

I frowned. "It was...interesting. The blood tasted nice enough, but it was all a little strange."

Ally nodded knowingly. "Hey, you want to try a True Blood?"

"Sure," I said, and Ally pulled two bottles out of the fridge and popped them in the microwave. I waited expectantly for my beverage to heat. This was something I understood; drinking a beverage from a bottle. The microwave beeped, Ally handed me my bottle, I gave it a little shake, and put it to my lips.

It definitely tasted differently than real blood, but it wasn't bad. It certainly wasn't vile, as Eric had described it earlier. It just wasn't as rich or sweet as real blood. I took a few sips, and enjoyed the sensation of holding my bottle, of doing something that was normal for me.

"And?" Ally asked.

"It's all right. I guess you can't have filet mignon every time. Occasionally, you've just got to enjoy meatloaf."

Ally started giggling. "I always say something like that to Gerald, but he despises this stuff."

I nodded and took another sip. "Eric thinks it's vile, too. They're just spoiled. Godric enjoys it, though."

Biting her lip, Ally looked at me. "So, you're Eric's now, right? What's he like?"

"Huh?"

"Well, he's really handsome. And tall. But what's he like?"

I shrugged. "He's all right." I wasn't sure what else to say. I wasn't past the stage yet of being just happy to still be alive-ish. I hadn't yet examined my opinion of Eric, especially not now that he was my maker.

Ally seemed to sense I didn't know what to say about it. "It's a bit too soon, right? To know what you really think of it?" I nodded. "Yeah, I remember rising a vampire, and it took me weeks before I really understood what the heck was going on."

I smiled at Ally, and sipped my True Blood. I had to admit, I really did like this stuff. I guessed that for older vampires, who'd enjoyed a steady diet of real blood for centuries, it could be difficult to adjust to something that just wasn't as tasty as the real thing. But I had no such qualms. I was used to a diet that consisted of foods of varying quality.

And thinking about real food made me realize something.

"Oh gosh," I said, lowering my bottle. "I'm never going to eat chocolate again."

Ally hummed her agreement. "Or ice cream."

I groaned, and it wasn't a happy sound. "No more ice cream. Ever." And then I noticed the bottle in my hands. "Unless we throw this into an ice cream maker." And I raised my bottle at her.

Ally and I locked eyes, and both of us were sporting hopeful smiles. "Oh my god," Ally said, looking at her own bottle as though she was seeing it for the first time. "That might just work!"

And we both collapsed into giggles, clinking our bottles in a toast.

Eric marched inside the kitchen. "Turid," he said, and he didn't sound happy. I looked at him with wide eyes, and Ally made herself scarce. "The Queen called. We have to return to Shreveport at once."

"What?"

"You heard me," Eric said. "We leave right now."

Godric entered the kitchen, and I threw myself into his arms. "You said we could stay a couple of days," I said as I glared at Eric over Godric's shoulder. I wasn't ready yet to let go of Godric.

"Let this be lesson two for you, my little witch," Eric said, as he loomed over us. "Vampire society is not a democracy. I am a Sheriff, but I have one authority above me, and that is the Queen of Louisiana. If she tells me to return to Shreveport, we return to Shreveport."

I pressed my head against Godric's shoulder, tightening my arms around him. "Turid," Godric said, as he rubbed my back. "We will see each other again soon, of that I'm sure. And you can write me and call me, and tell me about your adventures in Shreveport. This is not forever."

"I have to pack my stuff," I mumbled, and Eric made an impatient sound.

"We do not have time to pack your things. I will buy you whatever you need."

"Well, I'm not leaving without Herbert!" I snarled, and my fangs snapped down.

Eric blinked. "Who is Herbert?"

"He's my snake, and I'm not going anywhere without him. And since we have to pick him up at my house, you might as well let me pack a few things."

"I'm not flying with a snake," Eric said, his eyes narrowing.

"Flying? I'm taking my car, and you can ride with me." I growled at him.

Eric's fangs snapped to attention, and it would have gone downhill fast if Godric hadn't raised his hand and said quietly, "Enough, both of you." Then he looked at Eric. "My child, you forget our witch is just barely out of the ground. She needs time to adjust to all the changes in her life. And there is plenty of time to let her collect a few of her things before you drive back to Shreveport." I gave Eric a triumphant smile, until Godric looked at me. He wasn't looking happy. "And you, my dear heart, must remember that Eric is your maker, and you should treat him with respect."

I grumbled something that sounded vaguely apologetic, and Eric stared intently at the refrigerator.

"Good," Godric said happily. "Then that's settled. Turid, you will take my car and take Eric to your house. I will fly to the safe house, collect your things there, and meet you at your house. Come, we have no time to lose."

I said a quick goodbye to Ally, and we promised to stay in touch.

And before I knew it, I was driving Godric's car back to my own home, Eric sitting beside me as still as a statue.

"Was there a specific reason you had to return to Shreveport?" I asked, trying to sound polite.

Eric didn't respond at once, and when I thought he wasn't going to answer me at all, he sighed. "She said she had a job for me, and one of her children would stop by within the next few days to tell me more, and thus I should make myself available at once."

"Ah." I frowned. "Did she say what the job was?"

"No."

"Okay." I decided not to press the matter, and we sat in silence for a while as I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel.

"Is it a venomous snake?" Eric asked at last. "Like a cobra?"

I tried not to giggle. "Are you afraid of snakes, Eric?"

"No," Eric snapped. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I can see your aura, and it goes all swirly whenever someone mentions the word 'snake'."

Eric growled, and I decided to spare him any further embarrassment. "Herbert is a ball python. Completely harmless. Well, he could bite you, I guess, but it would be no worse than getting bitten by a hamster or something."

"They're useless animals," Eric said.

"Hamsters?"

"No, snakes!"

"Actually," I said, my inner biologist rising to the surface. "They're very useful animals. Most snakes eat rodents or other small mammalian pests. And then there are snakes that eat other snakes, so they keep everything in check."

Eric was staring at me as though I'd just told him I was a CIA agent in disguise; there was only complete disbelief.

"I studied biology in college," I explained.

"Ah." Eric looked out the window. "Useless subject." But I could hear him chuckling quietly, so I decided to let the matter rest. I was stuck with this guy for all eternity. No need to get upset over every little thing.

We arrived at my house soon after our little discussion to find Godric standing on the porch, my duffle bag at his feet. You had to love vampire speed.

I handed Godric back his car keys, and fished my own keys out of my purse and opened the door. "Eric, come in," I said, as I stepped into the living room.

And then I was lost. I looked around my house, at my things, and I didn't have a clue what to pack. Should I pack everything? Should I pack only clothes? What about my Dad's pictures? Or my books?

Godric wrapped his arm around my waist. "Turid," he said, and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Give me your keys when you leave, and I will make sure your house is well taken care of. And if you need something, I will send it to you."

I nodded, and buried my face in the crook of his neck. I inhaled his scent, and even though it was so much stronger now, it was still the same scent I had smelled the first night I met him. It had only been a few weeks since that night we'd spent talking in the meadow, but in those weeks, Godric had become my entire life. And now I had to leave that life, including him, behind.

It was too much. I couldn't move.

"Come," Godric said, and pulled me towards the bedroom. "Let's start with your clothes."

And that's what we did. As Eric strolled around my house, looking at everything with interest, Godric and I packed my clothes in two suitcases. Eric joined us in the bedroom and sat down on the bed, watching us work.

"Where will I be staying?" I asked after a while.

"With me," Eric said.

I looked at him and sighed. "What I meant was, do I need to bring sheets or towels or something?"

"You can use mine," he said with a wink. "I'm generous that way."

I shook my head, yet I couldn't suppress a giggle. I collected my toiletries, added my jewellery box to the suitcase and then looked around the room. "I think I've got everything."

"I think you forgot something," Eric said with a big grin, waving something. I blinked, and realized it was my pink vibrator.

"For fuck's sake, Eric. Stay out of my night stand!" It was a good thing I could no longer blush.

Godric looked like he wanted to high-five Eric, and I decided that I'd best just ignore them. Stupid men. Eric tossed the vibrator in the suitcase, and Godric closed it before I could protest.

I left them to their infantile humour and went to my spare bedroom to collect my magical supplies. I wasn't sure yet if I could still do magic like before, but if I wanted to test it, I'd need my supplies. I collected a few spell books, and added them to my duffel bag.

And then I walked into the living room and started unhooking Herbert's enclosure, rolling up the cables of his thermostat and heat tape. Godric and Eric had already loaded up the rest of my stuff in my little Toyota, and I carried Herbert's enclosure out myself. Vampire strength did come in handy. I put it in the back seat, and even secured it with a seat belt, and then we were finally ready to go.

Eric climbed into the driver's seat, and I stepped up to Godric.

"I will call you tomorrow night," Godric said, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He pulled me close. "Spend a few weeks with Eric, so your bond can grow, and then you can come to visit me. That does not sound too bad, does it?"

I shook my head. "Will you wait for me?" I asked uncertainly. I realized that was my biggest worry, that Godric would find someone else while I was stuck in Shreveport.

"Of course," Godric said and kissed me. "I will be right here waiting for you." He kissed me again, and this time it lasted much longer.

Eric started the car.

"Now you must go." Godric walked me to the passenger's seat and opened the door for me.

"I love you," I whispered. "I'll call you often. And I'll write."

"And I love you. Now I leave you in the capable hands of my child." Godric gave me one last kiss, and then stepped away from me as I slid inside the car. I instantly missed his touch.

As Eric pulled my car out of the driveway, I had to rummage through my purse to look for some tissues. Bloody tears streaking my face was just not a good look for me.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Eric drove as if his life depended on it, and several times I winced in sympathy for my little Toyota as Eric pushed it to its limits. Surprisingly, I wasn't as scared by Eric's driving style as I might have been just a week ago. I had superior senses and reflexes now, so I understood Eric still had control of the car, even when to any human watching us it might seem he was completely out of control.

We didn't talk for the first twenty minutes or so. My thoughts were all over the place. We needed to stop for gas at some point, I noticed when I looked at the dashboard. But we wouldn't need a bathroom break. And how odd was that? I'd never have to use the bathroom again. I'd also never get my period again, and while that wasn't such a bad thing, it did make me realize I'd never be able to have children.

I quickly stuffed that thought as deep into my mind as I could. I was already upset about leaving Godric. I was not in any state of mind to deal with the fact my whole possible future had been wiped out.

I let my thoughts wander back to my last moments with Godric, how he'd smelled, how his kisses had felt. And that led me to think about all the things I'd packed, and if maybe I'd forgotten something...

"Oh, shit," I said, glancing at Eric. "I think I forgot my laptop."

"I'll buy you a new one," Eric said, his gaze never leaving the road. "We're not turning back."

I huffed. "I don't need a new one. I'll just ask Godric tomorrow to send it to me."

"What do you need it for?" Eric asked me with a quick glance.

I shrugged. "I've got lots of stuff on there that's important to me. Lots of Dad's pictures, my old blog - "

"Blog?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I used to keep a blog when I was living in California. You know, like an online diary? About my life in college, and lots of old travel stories with pictures my Dad had taken. It was quite popular, but I stopped updating it when I moved to Dallas."

"Hm."

"Oh, I could start a new blog," I said, perking up at that idea. "You know, life as a newly made vampire. I bet that would be a popular subject."

Eric growled softly. "You cannot post all the details of our life on the internet."

"I wouldn't post about any secret vampire stuff," I said, slightly offended Eric could think me that stupid. "Just, you know, what it's like to wake up dead."

"And how are you going to explain you woke up dead?" Eric asked, the corners of his mouth quirking up. "How are you going to explain it wasn't your steady vampire lover who turned you? You would just be making things up."

I frowned. Eric had a point. "Fine," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "No baby vampire blog. Does your bar have a website?"

"Of course."

"Does it have a blog?" I asked, and I couldn't hold back a grin.

Eric gave me a look. "No, it does not have a blog."

"Well, I could write a blog for your bar, then. It would be a good tool for promotions and such. Keep the clientele up to date on what's happening." I glanced at Eric, and saw him frowning. "How about I just set up a little blog, write some posts, and then you can approve it."

"Fine," Eric said, and then glared at me. "But you are not to post anything about the bar on the internet without my approval."

"Of course," I said sweetly. "And hey, it'll keep me out of trouble. I mean, what else am I going to do all night long?" And the moment I said it, I realized that was a question I'd like to hear answered. What was I going to do with all my time? Just follow Eric around all night?

"You'll sit out in the bar and be a vampire," Eric said with a shrug.

"Huh?"

"People come to Fangtasia to see vampires," Eric explained slowly, as though my IQ didn't reach triple digits. "So there have to be vampires sitting in the bar for the people to look at. And that's what you'll do. Sit in the bar so people can look at you."

"No offence," I said, trying not to sound too put out. "But that sounds like the most boring job in the world."

"Job? You want a job?" Eric looked at me in obvious confusion.

"Of course I want a job. How else am I going to make a living?" I shook my head. Why wasn't Eric getting this?

"You had a job while you were with Godric?"

"Yes. I worked in a bookstore at first, but when I lost my job, Godric hired me as a witch. I worked for him and other vampires in the area. I made a nice living that way."

"Godric paid you for what already belonged to him?" Eric sounded as if he'd never heard of such a thing.

"What?"

"You were Godric's human. He shouldn't have had to pay you to do magic for him. He should have just provided for you, since you were his woman. And now you are my child, and I will provide for you, as your master."

"Eric," I said patiently, trying not to shudder at his words. "The thirteenth century called. They want their attitude back."

Eric started chuckling, and I giggled along with him, happy he'd understood my words as a joke.

"Seriously, though. Times have changed," I said, giving Eric a hopeful look. "I know I'm your child and you're my maker." I just couldn't call him 'master'. "But in this day and age women like to make their own living."

"Very well," Eric said, and look at me curiously. "This would make you happy, if I hired you to write a Fangtasia blog and do magic for me, and I paid you a salary for it?"

"Yes!" I beamed at him.

"Then consider it done."

I lunged at him and planted a loud kiss on his cheek, which made him chuckle again. "Thank you," I said sincerely, glad we'd gotten this hurdle out of the way.

"You will still be expected to sit out in the bar when we're at Fangtasia."

"No problem," I said happily. "I can work on my laptop in the bar while the good folks of Shreveport admire my vampy-ness."

Eric shook his head, but he was smiling.

"Hey, Eric?" I said after a few minutes of silence.

"Hm?"

"Have you ever seen a real, live dodo?"

"Yes."

I shrieked and bounced in my chair. Eric yanked at the steering wheel and looked at me in alarm. "Tell me," I begged him. "Please, please, _please_, tell me."

"Tell you what?" Eric managed to steady the car, which had swirled dangerously across the road for a moment.

"About the dodo!" I looked at him with my best puppy dog eyes. "Tell me everything about the dodo, _please_!"

And so he did. As it turned out, despite his distaste for snakes, Eric had always taken in interest in nature and animals, and he had lots of stories to tell about all the critters he'd encountered in his long life. I asked him tons of questions and relayed a few stories of my own travels with my Dad, and when Eric admitted at some point that he'd actually met Charles Darwin I bounced so hard in my seat I broke my seatbelt.

We spent our time in the car in comfortable conversation and that eased my mind like nothing else would have. At least we had something in common, and we were able to spend time together just talking about things that interested us. I still missed Godric something awful, but at least my immediate future with Eric didn't seem so bleak anymore.

While for any normal driver it would take over three hours to get from Dallas to Shreveport, Eric was no normal driver, so we made it in just under two hours, with still an hour and a half to spare before dawn.

Eric parked my little Toyota in his garage, right next to a shiny red Corvette and a dark SUV. He carried my luggage inside while I took care of Herbert's enclosure. Eric's house was big, but not too big. It screamed upper-middle class, not crazy millionaire. It was decorated in warm colours, deep blue and gold and burgundy, and I was pleasantly surprised how beautiful it looked.

Eric told me proudly the house had a large basement where we'd spend the day. It was unusual in Louisiana because of the water level, but since the house was built into the side of a small hill he'd managed to create his own underground lair.

I plunked Herbert's enclosure down on a corner table, hooked it up, filled his water dish, and then took Herbert out to check him over. He was fine, if not a little spooked by the hectic car ride. Eric stared at my snake with just a tiny bit of interest, but when I offered to let him hold Herbert he suddenly remembered dawn was coming and we'd better make haste.

Eric led me through an unobtrusive door with electronic keypad, down the stairs and into the underground area. There was a small sitting room with a leather couch, a TV and a large bookcase that covered the entire wall. Eric promised I'd have plenty of time in the future to check out his book collection after he noticed me practically salivating at the sight of it. Next was an office area, with a massive wooden desk, computer, and more books along the walls. And then came the bedroom, with adjacent bathroom. Both were large; there was a king sized bed and a huge bathtub and shower stall.

"I'll make room for your things in my closet tomorrow," Eric said, as I'd made to carry my suitcases into his walk-in closet. "Right now, there is something I've wanted to do all evening, ever since you denied me."

"Huh?" I looked up at him in confusion.

Eric crushed his lips to mine, and he yanked the zipper of my dress down. It fell to the floor, quickly followed by my pink lingerie. Eric pushed me back onto the bed while he tore off his own clothing.

An image of Godric flashed through my mind, followed by a sliver of guilt, but my body didn't care. This was Eric, _my maker_, and his blood called to me, as my blood called to him. Ours was a connection that could not be denied, even if we had wanted to. And I didn't want to deny it as my body warmed with arousal.

"We have little time now," Eric said, his breath ghosting over my face as he crawled on top of me. "But tomorrow, I will taste every inch of your skin." He slid two fingers inside me, and I clenched around them in need. He teased my clit with his thumb until I begged him for release, and only then did he replace his fingers with his erection and he filled me to the hilt.

I threw my head back and wrapped my arms and legs around him as he thrust inside me hard, harder than anyone ever had. But I was a vampire now, not a fragile human, and I pushed back against him with all my might, which made him growl as he lowered his head and bit my throat.

My climax hit me with force, and I cried out as I raked my nails across his back. But Eric wasn't done yet. He grinned down at me, fangs out, my blood coating his lips. "Let's see if we can do that again," he said, and pulled out of me. "Turn around."

I may have used vampire speed to move, and before I knew it I was sitting on my hands and knees, and Eric pounded inside me from behind. My voice rasped as I begged him for more, and Eric complied, leaning over me, his weight crushing my back, his hips never stopping his thrusts. He reached a hand around me and stroked my clit, and I came again, cutting my lips with my own fangs as I growled, my body trembling beneath him.

Eric came soon after, crying out words I couldn't understand, buried so deep inside me I wasn't sure anymore where I ended and he began.

We collapsed onto the bed and Eric slipped out and rolled onto his back. I followed him automatically, as I'd always done with Godric, and Eric seemed surprised for a moment as I curled around his body, my head resting on his chest. He looked at me with a frown, but before I could ask him if something was wrong he relaxed beneath me and wrapped an arm around me, holding me tight.

"Tonight, we go to Fangtasia so I can introduce you to those who owe me fealty," Eric said.

"Hm," I said in agreement. I was tired now, more tired that I'd ever been. And then I felt it. Something was looming on the horizon, something huge and it screamed danger in my mind. Danger and fire and death.

"We are going to burn," I said with certainty. I crawled as close to Eric as I could, parking my entire body on top of his.

"Sshh," Eric whispered. "We are safe here." He pulled my head down into the crook of his neck and held me close.

"Well, this sucks," I whispered, my mind consumed by images of our bodies burning to ashes. And then dawn came, and I knew no more.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When I came to I was alone in bed. I couldn't call it waking up. It wasn't a gradual process, where my mind slowly gained awareness of the sounds and sights around me. One moment I wasn't there, and the next moment I was, perfectly awake and aware of everything around me.

I heard Eric tapping away at a keyboard in the office across the bedroom. I slipped out of bed and padded across the hall and into his office. It didn't even occur to me I was still naked until Eric looked up at me and his gaze raked across my body, lingering on my breasts.

"Good morning," I said with a smile. Eric was sitting naked behind his desk, and I admired the view as much as he did.

"Hungry?" he asked me, leaning back in his seat.

I thought about that. I was feeling a little numb and hollow, just like I'd done when Eric had pulled me out of the dirt. That must be hunger for a vampire. I nodded.

"There is True Blood in the fridge," he said, gesturing at something behind me. "Or you can wait until we get to Fangtasia and eat something there."

"I'll have a True Blood," I said, as I looked at the small fridge and the microwave sitting on top of it, hidden partially by the door. I selected a bottle of AB-negative from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. "I thought you didn't like this stuff?" I asked as I waited for the microwave to beep.

Eric had been staring at me as I'd bent over to grab the bottle from the fridge. His fangs were out. "It's for emergencies," he said, and just the look in his eyes made my body throb with arousal.

The microwave beeped, and I quickly drank the blood as I sauntered over to his desk. "What are you working on?" I asked, just to make a bit of conversation.

"Just checking up on my businesses," Eric said, glancing back at his computer screen.

"You have more businesses than Fangtasia?"

Eric gave me an incredulous look, as if I'd just asked him the dumbest thing on earth. "Several. Fangtasia is where I spent most of my time in person, for obvious reason."

"Dinner," I said, and drank the last of my blood. Eric grinned at me in agreement. "May I have another one?" I was still feeling a little hollow.

"You don't need to ask. Drink as many as you like." Then Eric frowned. "But you cannot yet feed on any humans without my presence until I say you are ready, understood?"

I nodded quickly, and heated up another bottle in the microwave. I sipped it contently as I watched Eric answer a few emails. I was leaning against the side of the desk, and the moment I put down my empty bottle, Eric reached for my arm and pulled me closer. As he was sitting down and I was standing, my breasts were aligned with his face and he took advantage of that.

He sucked my hard nipple into his mouth, his hands cupping both breasts to squeeze them gently.

"You really like them, don't you?" I asked, feeling a bit daring as I ran my hands through his hair.

"They are so very _nice_," Eric said, and nicked my nipple with his fangs, making me gasp. "They are the perfect size." He squeezed my breasts again, a little harder this time. "And they are so soft." And now he rubbed his face from one breasts to another.

I was watching him with my mouth opened, my body heated with arousal. Eric slid one hand between my legs, and I quickly spread them. He pushed his fingers between my wet folds and stroked me teasingly slow, his mouth never pulling away from my breasts. I bucked my hips, silently begging for me, and he stared up at me with those blue eyes of his and a wicked grin on his face as his tongue darted out to lick my nipple.

"Please," I breathed, and that was what Eric needed to hear. He rolled his chair back a little and pushed me between himself and the desk. "Sit up on there," he said, and when I hopped onto the edge of the desk, Eric put his hands behind my knees and pushed my legs up and spread them wide, so I sat there wet and exposed. He sank to his knees in front of me.

"I've wanted to do this ever since I tasted you, my beautiful witch," he said, and after making sure I was looking at him, he pressed his mouth against my sex, his tongue slipping between my folds to lick my most sensitive spot.

I yelped in shock and pleasure. Eric really knew what he was doing with his tongue, and he brought me to the edge several times before drawing back. I begged him and cursed him and yelled at him, and he never gave me what I truly wanted. My nails were digging into the wooden surface of his desk, my legs were trembling as he held them apart, and my vision was blurred as my body screamed for release.

"Call me master," he whispered right after he'd brought me close, _so close _yet again.

"Gah!" I glared down at him, but my body demanded I gave into him. I held out for just a while longer, though, too stubborn for my own good.

Eric licked around my clit, his gaze locked with mine. My pleasure soared high and I almost peaked when Eric drew back. "My child, call me by my rightful title and I will give you what you want."

"Master," I gasped, unable to deny my needs any further. "Master."

Eric plunged his tongue inside my folds and within seconds I was coming, screaming out my orgasm, my body falling back against his desk, arms flailing. I saw stars and lights and heaven itself as pleasure stronger than I'd ever felt coursed through my body and my blood. When I could finally focus on reality again, Eric was thrusting inside of me, standing between my legs. I wrapped them around him and stared up at him as he bared his fangs.

"You are mine," Eric growled, one hand on my breast to hold me against his desk, the other on my hip to keep me from bucking too hard. This was about Eric's control of me and my body. He decided how much I could move or not. "You are mine," he growled again, and leaned over me to crush his lips against my mouth. I met his fierce kiss, my tongue plunging inside his mouth, and without me even knowing how close I'd been, I came again. Eric thrust inside of me so hard it made the desk groan beneath us, but he didn't stop. My orgasm prolonged and morphed into a second orgasm, and then a third, and I was begging him to stop as my body couldn't take this onslaught of pleasure, this sheer _heat_ between us, but Eric kept pounding, deeper and deeper.

Eric roared when he came with violent jerks of his body, throbbing inside of me. He collapsed on top of me, and all I could do was just lie there, utterly spent, my body still pulsing with abating pleasure.

"My beautiful Turid," Eric purred, lapping at my nipple. "You are mine."

"Yeah," I agreed weakly. There was nothing else I could say to that.

We stayed still for a while, Eric playing with my breasts, and me wondering if a vampire could be fucked to her final death. But then Eric's phone rang, and he pulled out of me and helped me to my feet.

"I made room in my closet for your things," he said, and gave me a lingering kiss before he answered his phone with a gruff, "Yes?"

I stumbled towards the fridge to heat up another bottle of blood, and as I waited for it I noticed we'd knocked just about everything off his desk, save for his computer screen. I giggled, as Eric gave me a knowing look and plucked his keyboard off the floor, all the while talking animatedly into his phone.

I took my True Blood back to the bedroom and gulped half of it down before I opened my suitcases and set to put everything in the available space in Eric's walk-in closet.

Then my phone rang, and I zipped out of the closet in search of my purse. I yanked my phone out, barely glanced at the little screen and answered it with a breathless, "Godric?"

"Good evening, my dear heart. Did you have a safe trip to Shreveport?"

I sank down onto the bed and smiled my most goofy smile. Yes, Eric was pretty fucking amazing, at least in certain departments, but Godric was something else, something more, and my chest warmed as I heard his voice.

"Yep. I got Eric to see reason when it comes to the modern employment of women, and we made it back here in one piece."

Godric laughed, and I smiled at the sound.

"Oh, before I forget, I think I left my laptop in the safe house. The last I remember is that I put it in the kitchen. I think."

"I will find it, and see you receive it as soon as possible," Godric said.

"Thanks," I said, and then I didn't know what else to say. I kept flashing back to Eric and me on his desk, and no matter what Godric had told me about sharing me with Eric, I felt guilty now that I was talking to my boyfriend. He still was my boyfriend, wasn't he?"

"Turid, are you all right?" Godric asked.

"Yeah. It's just...I know you said you were okay with sharing me with Eric, but I'm not sure -"

"Shh," Godric interrupted me. "I want you to grow up to be a strong vampire, and you should develop a close bond with you maker to do this. And the bond between you and Eric is sexual. You need not worry about that."

"Okay," I said softly, still a little unconvinced. "But I'm not having sex with anyone else, just so you know."

Godric chuckled. "I have to admit I like the idea of only sharing you with Eric, and not with any others. I will wait for you, my dear heart, in case you were wondering."

"I was. A little," I said, and giggled. "Thanks. I feel better."

"Good. I will call again tomorrow night."

"Okay. I miss you."

"And I you, my dear heart. Goodbye."

"Bye." And with that I clicked my phone shut. I looked up to find Eric standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, an unreadable expression on his face. I smiled at him, unsure what else to do.

"We should get ready for Fangtasia," Eric said. I jumped up from the bed.

"What should I wear?" I asked, looking over my shoulder as I strolled into the bathroom.

"I will select something for you," Eric said, and disappeared inside the closet.

I decided not to argue with that and hopped under the shower. I made quick work of things, and just when I was about to close the taps, Eric appeared.

"Leave it on," he said, and stepped inside the shower just as I got out. I got myself ready as quickly as I could, not wanting to keep Eric waiting, but blow-drying my hair and applying make-up took some time. Eric didn't seem to mind, though. He'd already gotten dressed in black leather pants and a dark green silk shirt, and he observed me quietly as I applied eyeliner and mascara.

"We need to get you something more appropriate to wear to Fangtasia," he said, as I finally walked into the bedroom. He'd selected my dark-blue dress; it lay waiting for me on the bed.

"And what would that be?" I asked, as I slipped into my black lingerie and then my dress. Eric zipped it up for me. Last were my black heels, and then I was ready.

"You'll see," Eric said ominously, but he didn't say anything more when I looked at him in confusion.

Eric helped me inside his Corvette, and as I put on the seatbelt he manoeuvred it out of the garage with ease. The drive to Fangtasia was a quiet affair. I thought of things to say or ask, but Eric didn't seem in a talkative mood. He just stared straight ahead as he broke several speed limits. I briefly wondered if I'd done something wrong, but I couldn't think of anything, so I just shrugged and stared out the window.

Fangtasia was located in a small strip mall, and while all the other stores were already closed, the red neon sign above the bar made it widely known there was still plenty going on there. Eric helped me out of the car and held onto my hand as we walked to the front doors.

"Pam," Eric greeted a pretty, blond vampire who stood at the entrance, checking ID's.

"Eric," Pam said, and then looked at me. "More vampire orphans? We haven't even trained the last one yet."

Eric grinned. "Pam, I want you to meet your new sister, Turid." Then he looked at me, his grin growing wider. "Turid, I want you to meet your big sister, Pam."

Pam and I stared at each other, Pam with a blank face, and me with my mouth hanging open. Eric already had a child? He could have mentioned that before!

"Eric," Pam said, glaring up at him. "A word, please." She gave me a significant look. "In private."

Eric released my hand and gave me a little push. "Go inside, Turid. We'll be right there." And with that he turned around and walked out into the parking lot, Pam on his heels.

I wasn't sure what to think. It was obvious Eric hadn't told Pam of my existence, just as he hadn't told me of hers. What was he playing at? Was it just for his own amusement, so he could see the look on our faces?

I sighed and walked inside. There was another vampire standing by the inner doors, but he only looked me over once and motioned me inside. I clutched my purse and looked around.

It was...well...it wasn't exactly to my tastes, to say the least. Everything was red and grey and black, and all the people looked like they were getting ready to enjoy an evening of BDSM in someone's dungeon. Well, if Eric expected me to dress up like a dominatrix from now on, he had another thing coming.

I sniffed the air, and instantly regretted it. Everything and everyone smelled like old sweat and even older semen, cheap cologne and rancid blood. I fought the urge to pinch my nose shut, and I hurried towards the bar. I might as well try to fit in, even though I most definitely stood out in my dress.

The bartender was an Asian vampire dressed in a black shirt and black pants. He looked me over once and then stared at me with a blank look.

"Can I have a True Blood, please?" I asked politely, as I squeezed myself between a half-naked woman and a guy wearing a dog collar and no shirt. "AB-negative, if you have it."

Without comment, the bartender got my drink and set it down on the bar in front of me. "Ten dollars," he said.

Well, I hadn't expected to have to pay in Eric's bar, but of course this guy had no idea who I was, so without protest I got my wallet from my purse, and then quickly discovered I didn't have any cash on hand. "Do you accept credit cards?" I asked with my sweetest smile.

The bartender glared at me. "Do I look like a bank?" And with that, he snatched the bottle away from me.

"I got it," said a voice behind me, and a ten dollar bill appeared on the bar. The bartender plopped the bottle back in front of me, just as I turned around to protest.

"No, no," I said to the guy who'd just bought me a drink. "That's not necessary. I'm expecting company any minute now."

The guy was human, and by the scars I could see on his neck it was clear why he had just bought me a drink.

"I'm Rafael," he said in a deep voice. He was tall, but not as tall as Eric, and his hair was short and black, and his eyes a deep brown. He was handsome for sure, but I just wasn't interested. "Let me keep you company until your friends arrive." He took the bottle from the bar and held it out for me.

I sighed. He was just being nice, I supposed, so I accepted the bottle with a smile. "Thank you. I'm Turid. And you really shouldn't have done this."

"Nonsense," Rafael said with a dazzling smile. He was nursing a glass of whiskey. "A beautiful woman such as yourself should never be without company."

I sipped my bottle of blood and tried not to roll my eyes. This guy was really laying it on thick. I looked at his neck. I couldn't help it. I inhaled, and under his expensive cologne I could smell his blood, and it smelled good. I quickly took a large gulp from my bottle.

Rafael must have noticed something in my expression, because he scooted a little closer. "I haven't seen you here before. I'd have remembered it if I had."

"I'm new," I said with a weak smile. "Brand new, in fact." I looked at his neck again before I could stop myself. I could _hear_ his blood running through his veins at the beat of his heart. _Da-dum, da-dum, da-dum_. It was hypnotizing.

"Perhaps later we can go back to my place," Rafael whispered as he leaned closer, trailing a finger down my bare arm. I shivered and stared at his neck. "I will let you bite me where ever you want."

My fangs clicked out, and I licked my lips. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this was wrong, but my instincts didn't agree. My instincts were telling me to take what I wanted, and what I wanted was his blood.

Rafael lowered his head and brushed his lips across mine, his hand trailing towards my breasts to stroke them.

An image of Godric, and then of Eric, flashed through my mind, and I pulled back as if I got burned.

"I'm not interested," I hissed through my fangs, and then, for good measure, I gave him a shove.

Of course, I hadn't counted on my vampire strength. Rafael went flying through the air to land on a table a few feet away. And as he crushed down, I could hear bones snap.

I stood there, staring at the human lying crumpled on the floor, and then I did the only thing I could do.

I ran.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N: Aww, it's hard to be a new vampire. Poor Turid and her pesky instincts. I got some questions about what I was going to do about season 2 and season 3. The story is currently set about a week before season 2 starts (so a week before Sookie and Tara find that dead lady in Andy's car, and Eric rips up Royce in the basement) We still have lots that will be happening in this week, of course, as Turid adjusts to life with Eric, but we will merge with the happenings of season 2 at some point. **

**Obviously, some things will not happen in this story as they happened in season 2. There won't be a trip to Dallas (we've already been there and the FOTS has been dealt with), but other season 2 story lines will pop up in this story. As for season 3...well, it's still ongoing, so it's hard for me to say right now how much of it will be incorporated into the story. We still have a ways to go with this story, though, so we'll see what happens when we get there. Thanks for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think of it. Reviews make me a happy camper! **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

I zipped out of the bar and across the parking lot using vampire speed. I had no clue where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to get out of there.

"Turid, stop. Now!"

Eric.

I stopped at once and turned, and Eric was standing right behind me. I flung myself at him, wrapping my arms around his chest and burying my head against his shoulder. "I killed a guy."

Eric's chest rumbled with laughter as he slid his arms around me. "You did not kill that man."

"Huh?"

"He isn't dead. He suffered a broken shoulder and a concussion, but he'll live."

I looked up at Eric, confused for a moment. "Wait? You were there?"

"Of course," Eric said, smiling down at me. "Did you really think I'd let you out of my sight for long?"

I gaped at him. And then I smacked his shoulder. "You should have done something!"

"What should I have done?" Eric looked truly nonplussed.

"You should have stopped me!" I'd gone from scared shitless to pissed off in seconds.

"You stopped yourself. I'm very proud of you, my little witch." Eric beamed at me.

"What?"

"You did not bite the human, while you clearly wanted to."

I blinked, and stared up at Eric. "But I tossed him - "

Eric waved my words away. "It looked to me you forgot about your new strength. A minor mistake. Much more importantly, you controlled your instincts." Eric gave me a kiss, but I barely returned it. I was still too confused. "You did very well." Eric seemed happy as a clam, but I just wasn't sure what to think.

"So he's going to be okay?" I asked, the panic finally seeping away.

"Chow is healing and glamouring him. He will not even remember any of it." Eric released me and grabbed my hand to lead me back to the bar. "You will feed on a human tonight, though."

"Eric, I don't think I can, not after - "

"This is not up for discussion," Eric said, and he gave me a look that made me shut my mouth. "I would think you'd want to learn control, after your reaction to that human."

Well. I couldn't really think of anything to say to that. "Does it have to be someone from the bar?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.

"You object to our patrons?"

"They're all so...icky," I said, and Eric started chuckling.

"You did not seem to find that human...icky."

I glared at him. "That's not the point."

"You'll have all evening to select a human who's to your tastes," Eric said, giving my hand an encouraging squeeze. I sighed as my shoulders sagged. There was just no arguing with this guy. Eric must have felt my resignation, because he gave me a triumphant smile.

"Oh! Hey!" I said, as we neared the bar and I spotted Pam by the door. "You could have told me about Pam!"

Eric shrugged. "Why?"

"Just...because!" I said. I couldn't actually think of a reason to give him. It would have been nice to know he already had a child, but other than that, I guess there wasn't really a reason. Until I thought about the sexual connection between Eric and myself, and then I realized he might have the same connection with Pam.

I stopped dead in my tracks and tried to pull my hand away, but Eric didn't let go. "What is wrong?" he asked.

"You could have told me there is someone else in you life. You know, someone else in your _bed_."

Eric looked confused for a moment. And then he laughed. "You mean Pam?"

"Yes, I mean Pam," I spat. I was so angry now I was shaking.

"You are jealous again, I can tell." He had the audacity to try to kiss me, and I pushed against his chest, turning my face away from him. He wrapped his arms around me and he was far stronger than me, so I struggled only briefly and then gave up. I sagged in his embrace, still not looking at him.

"You could have told me you already had someone," I whispered, my anger now replaced with cold rejection.

Eric cupped my face with his large hands. "When I first made Pam, we had sex many times. However, that was a long time ago. Our connection is no longer sexual." He frowned briefly, and then he grinned. "When it comes to Pam you should worry more about your own virtue than mine."

"Oh." I dared a glance at him, and now I was feeling like a drama queen. I hated being so possessive of Eric.

"Perhaps I should have told you," Eric said, and then smiled wickedly. "My darling child, should I have aggrieved you with my poor manners, I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

I smacked him against his chest, but I couldn't suppress a smile at the same time. "Fine. You're forgiven, oh boorish maker 'o mine."

Eric was beaming again as he grabbed my hand, and tugged me along towards the bar. Pam gave us a curious look as we passed her at the door, and I offered her a small smile. I was feeling much happier about her now that Eric had told me of their past and present status. I was even curious enough about her that I was looking forward getting to know her.

Inside the bar, I excused myself to go check my make-up in the bathroom. Thankfully, it had survived my ordeal, and I only needed to touch up my lip gloss. I fussed with my hair a bit, and then I was ready to face the music. Or rather, the patrons of Fangtasia who'd all seen me toss someone across the bar.

I got some curious looks here and there, but no one spoke to me as I went in search of Eric. He was sitting in an elaborate wooden and leather chair up on a little stage. When we locked eyes, he motioned for me to join him in an empty chair beside him. As I sat down I couldn't help noticing everyone in the bar staring at us. Eric reached for my hand and gave me a smile. Now people started murmuring. Well, the humans started murmuring. The vampires wisely didn't question their Sheriff. I could pick up pieces of conversation here and there, and it mostly concerned questions about me. Who the hell I was, and why I got to sit beside the Viking Sex God (which made me snicker while Eric offered me smirk - he could hear the conversations as well), and if I was his child, and why he'd picked a skinny slut like me over them, because hey, didn't Eric know they'd be his perfect child -

I tuned the conversations out as I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I was feeling very welcome here, I thought with a snort. And I actually had to eat one of these people? I didn't even want to touch any of them with a ten foot pole, let alone drink their blood.

A waitress approached us, and I assumed Eric had summoned her. She gave Eric a sultry smile, and then she looked me up and down a few times and managed a frosty curve of her lips.

"An AB-negative True Blood for my child," Eric said, and she scurried away.

"I can order for myself," I mumbled, feeling more and more uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"What is wrong now?" Eric asked, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I gestured at the crowd. "They're all looking at us, and talking about us, and they're not saying anything nice."

"What do you care what the vermin thinks of you?" Eric seemed genuine puzzled by this.

"Vermin?" I gaped at him. "Eric, they're people."

Eric leaned closer. "They are our food. Moreover, they are just jealous I bestowed this most precious gift on you."

"Most precious gift?" I shook my head. "You were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and because I couldn't think straight because of a head wound you were forced to act and now you're stuck with me. What a gift it is."

Eric pulled back as though I'd slapped him, his face darkening. "You believe this about us?"

I stared at him, unsure what to say. He didn't believe this about us?

"We will talk more on this later," Eric grumbled as he let go of my hand. He stared out over the people, not looking at me once. The waitress returned and offered me my drink, and I sat sipping it quietly, utterly confused by Eric's sharp response.

"Don't forget to select a meal for later," Eric said at one point, but he still didn't look at me.

I sighed and looked at the people, but they all just looked the same. Dark clothes and dark make-up and dark looks as they took me in. Just to keep myself from going nuts at their stares, I decided to study their auras. Most of the auras I saw were as bland as their owners were dark, until I spotted a young couple by the bar.

Their auras were sparkling.

I leaned closer to Eric, touching his arm with my hand. "Eric," I whispered into his ear. "That couple over there by the bar, they've recently ingested vampire blood."

"How do you know this?" Eric asked me with a frown.

"When a human ingests vampire blood, you can tell by their aura; it becomes all sparkly."

"Pam," Eric said, and instantly Pam zipped to our side. Eric gave her some instructions in what I thought was Swedish, and Pam sauntered over to the couple.

"What will happen to them?" I asked, worried they might be killed.

Eric leaned close so he could whisper directly into my ear. None of the humans in the bar needed to hear this conversations. "Pam will question them. If they are merely users, she will glamour them into believing they had a very bad trip when they last did V and they will never touch it again. If they are dealers, we will...interrogate them further."

I bit my lip. "Interrogate them further? What does that mean?"

Eric looked at me for a moment, his eyes blazing. "Turid, it will do you no good to feel sympathy for V dealers or drainers." When I wanted to protest, he added, "You do realize that they would have no qualms about tying you up with silver, draining you of every last drop of your precious blood, and leaving you out to die come dawn, don't you?"

I gulped and looked down at my lap. "Gotcha," I said. To be honest, I hadn't actually thought about any of these new threats to my life now that I was a vampire. But Eric was right, of course. Those kinds of people were a huge threat to us. And yes, perhaps they should be handed over to the police, but what would happen then? They'd get a few months in prison, only to be released so they could start all over again.

I should scare me how easy it was to accept this new reality, complete with a new justice system, but somehow it didn't. I was a vampire now. If I couldn't accept that and all it entailed I might as well go and meet the dawn, and I had no intention of doing that.

Eric reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. "I will tell you all about drainers later. We will make it a whole lesson."

I nodded and glanced at him briefly.

"Have you selected anyone yet," Eric asked, and I shook my head.

"I'm not being purposefully difficult here," I said, willing him to believe that. "But none of these people appeal to me. At least I knew Robbie a bit, and I liked him. He's a nice guy. But all these people here would just as soon see me walk under a bus because I'm sitting here with you, and you expect me to drink their blood? Yuck." I offered him a small smile, and when Eric smiled in return a flood of relief washed over me. Hopefully his dark mood was gone now. I had learned one lesson tonight: I did not like it when Eric was angry with me, especially if I didn't understand the reason.

"How about those two men in the back," Eric said, nodding his head in the direction of the DJ booth. I followed his gaze and saw two young men standing there, both clutching a beer. And while they were both wearing dark jeans and black t-shirts, they appeared reasonably normal and not entirely unattractive.

"Hm," I said, looking them both over with a critical eye. "They've got some potential."

Eric chuckled. "Go get them."

"What?"

"Go get them and bring them back to my office." He gave me an encouraging smile.

"Both of them?" I asked in shock.

Eric snorted. "I've got to eat, too."

I giggled. "Sorry." Eric urged me out of my seat, and I turned to look at him. "What do I say?"

Shrugging, Eric smiled at me. "That's the lesson for this evening. Convince them to be our dinner." As I hopped down the little stage, Eric said, "Oh, and try not to break any of their bones this time."

I glared at Eric for a second, and then squared my shoulders and made my way through the crowd. I had no idea what to say to these guys. How did you ask someone to be your dinner? But hey, I was a fairly attractive woman with an even more attractive cleavage, so I could use that to my advantage. Of course, those guys could be gay. But in that case I could just point to Eric and tell them he was hung like a horse.

Before my thoughts could go downhill even further, I reached the two young men. I gave them my nicest smile. "Hi there."

They were both looking at me as if the virgin Mary had just appeared before them. They were in complete awe.

"Are you a vampire?" one of them finally dared ask me.

"I sure am," I said and cocked my head in a coy way. "My name is Turid."

"Wow," the other one said, and then he remembered his manners. "I'm Rick." He had curly blond hair and grey eyes.

"And I'm Alex," said the friend. He had brown hair and brown eyes and dimples in his cheeks when he smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Rick and Alex," I said. And then I was stumped on what else to say. I glanced briefly over my shoulder. Eric was leaning forward in his chair, watching my every move. And much to my embarrassment, I saw Pam standing beside Eric's chair. They were both looking entirely too amused.

Yeah, see the baby vamp try to arrange dinner. And see the baby vamp fail.

When I looked back at Rick and Alex, they were both staring at my cleavage. It seemed I could at least discount the whole gay thing. "So," I said, in my most non-threatening voice. "What are two such fine young gentlemen doing in a place like this?"

They both grinned. Then Alex asked, "Can we see your fangs?"

I heard Eric chuckling from across the bar. Asshole. I smiled at Alex, and then realized I had never consciously lowered my fangs before. It had always sort of just happened. I needed a plan B. My smile widened. "If you're real good," I said and licked my lips. Now Pam was chuckling, too.

Meanwhile, Rick and Alex shared a look as though they'd just won the jackpot. "We'll be good," Rick said with a huge grin.

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "Hey, how much will it cost us to have you strip for us?"

I took a step backwards while my mouth sank open. With a brush of wind Eric stood beside me, his power prickling my skin.

"You two, come with us," he growled, and Rick and Alex both nodded blankly. Great. Eric had glamoured the crap out of them. Eric marched towards the back, and I tried to keep up with him while both Rick and Alex trailed behind us. I wasn't sure how I felt about this. I knew with certainty Eric would want me to feed on one of them, but they weren't exactly willing, were they? They were glamoured.

Then again, they'd both thought me some sort of vampire prostitute. Maybe they deserved to be bitten, just so they'd think twice next time about suggesting someone take their clothes off for them.

Eric led us through a dark hallway and into a small office. There were all sorts of items stacked against the walls, from rolls of paper towel to cases of True Blood. At one end of the room stood a messy desk, and at the other end a leather couch.

"Pick one," Eric said, closing the door. Rick and Alex stood motionless in the middle of the office. I was about the protest when I noticed Eric's expression. Perhaps I should just get along with this. Eric had already been pissed off at me once this evening. No need to repeat the experience. I pointed at Alex. He smelled a bit better than Rick, though I wouldn't be able to explain why if someone asked me. Eric clamped his hand around Alex's shoulder and pushed him towards the couch. "Sit down," he snapped. Alex did at once. I sank down on the couch beside Alex and looked up at Eric. He gave me a small smile, and gestured for me to continue.

With a sigh, I put my hands on Alex's shoulders, positioned him, and leaned towards his neck. I inhaled deeply. Oh yeah, I could smell his blood and whatever objections I'd just been wrestling with vanished as my instincts kicked in. My fangs snapped out.

"You must feel his heartbeat," Eric reminded me. I did feel his heartbeat. I felt it pulse against my lips and my tongue, and because Eric didn't say anything else, I sank my fangs inside Alex's neck. My dinner responded with a short yelp, but I paid him no heed. I only cared about his blood, and his blood was flowing across my tongue and down my throat. I sucked as much of it down as I could before I felt his heartbeat slow down just a bit.

"Now you pull back," Eric said from somewhere in the room. I wasn't aware of much of anything anymore, only the human in my arms and his blood in my mouth.

"Turid." This time Eric growled, and I remembered Godric, and Godric's words as I'd fed on Robbie, and then I remembered Eliza and _pieces_ -

I pulled back as though Alex had burned me. I licked my lips and looked around the room. Eric was smiling at me and Alex was still staring straight ahead.

"Now you must lick the wounds to heal them," Eric said, and I leaned back in and gave the two puncture wounds an experimental lick. Alex's blood tasted so good I was tempted to start sucking again, but I pulled back in time. I licked again, and pulled back, and I repeated this until the little wounds had closed.

"Very good," Eric said, and then stepped behind Rick, pulled his head to the side, and bit down on his neck. He fed with an efficiency that I envied, licked the wounds closed, and gave Rick a shove so he stumbled towards the door. "You will not remember any of this," Eric said, as he caught first Rick's gaze and then Alex's. "You came to the bar, had a few beers, and you left. You will not return for a few weeks."

And then Alex and Rick walked out of the office, none the wiser they'd just been dinner for two vampires.

Eric sat down behind his desk and started sorting through a stack of mail. I sat on the couch and stared straight ahead. I had just fed on an unwilling human, more or less. Oh, they'd been willing to do some things with me, but I was pretty sure they hadn't wanted to do this out of their own free will.

"This is reality," Eric said after a while. I glanced at him. "There aren't always willing humans available, and we need their blood to survive."

"I guess," I said, still not entirely convinced. "Can a vampire actually survive on synthetic blood alone, or is that just a ruse told by the American Vampire League so all the humans can sleep soundly at night?"

Eric roared with laughter and leaned back in his chair. "I suppose you could survive on it, but you would lose strength."

"Ah." I frowned. "Like a human eating only junk food. It'll keep you going, but it's certainly not the best thing to do."

Eric nodded. "Yes, that's a good comparison."

I pondered on that as I sank back in the couch. Eric busied himself with whatever business he had to take care of, but I didn't mind some moments of silence as I took all the night's events in.

"You did well," Eric said out of the blue. I looked at him in confusion. "You pulled back when I told you to. You felt his heartbeat slow down. You did very well. You have very good control for a vampire as young as you are."

I smiled at him and considered that. "Maybe it's because I've been a witch all my life. Magic is all about control, too."

"Maybe," Eric said, and then tilted his head as he looked at me. "How much magic can you still do?"

"Good question. I can still see auras, but I haven't had time yet to try anything else."

Eric made a gesture as if to say 'go ahead, try something'.

I got up from the couch. "Maybe I'll try teleportation. I've always been good at that."

Eric looked alarmed, and I started giggling. "Not a great distance, don't worry. Just -" And I concentrated, pulled my power inwards and teleported from my position by the couch to stand beside Eric's chair.

"It still works!" I cheered, as Eric grinned up at me. "I still have magic!"

"That is a useful talent to have, my little witch." And Eric pulled me in his lap, gave me a sound kiss, and then started licking away what I assumed were blood stains around my mouth until I was presentable again. He didn't try anything else, though, just kept me in his lap as he typed away at his keyboard. I didn't mind one bit. It felt good to be so close to Eric. I leaned my head on his shoulder and waited patiently for Eric to reply to a few emails about deliveries and other things concerning the bar.

"We'll sit out in the bar until we close, then I'll introduce you to the vampires here, and they we'll go home," Eric said as he turned off his computer. He nuzzled my neck and I pressed myself a little closer.

"Sounds like a plan," I whispered, already thinking about the things we might do together when we got home.

Eric grinned against my throat. "Patience, my child. Patience." And he stood, a hand on my waist to steady me. We walked out of the office hand in hand, and we were immediately accosted by a young red-headed vampire in the hallway.

"Did she just get to feed on those guys?" the vampire demanded.

"Jessica," Eric said. "Was there something you wanted?"

I stared at the vampire in front of us. So this was _Jessica_.

"Why don't I get to feed on someone?" Jessica said, and as I studied her I realized she was still very young. She couldn't have been more than 18 when Bill turned her. "She's only been here for one night, _and_ she gets to sit with you, _and_ she gets to feed on someone. That's not fair!"

Eric quirked an eyebrow. "Jessica, meet my child, Turid."

Jessica looked me up and down. I gave her a little wave. I felt sorry for her, knowing how Bill didn't want her. My goodness, I couldn't imagine Eric not wanting me. Even with Godric as backup, I was sure I'd have been devastated if my maker had just dumped me without a care in the world.

"I've been here longer," Jessica said, crossing her arms in a most petulant way.

"If you have any complaints, take it up with your maker," Eric said, and with that he pulled me towards the door. We passed another door, and I smelled a most vile scent. As though a whole lot of humans sat behind that door. Humans who hadn't washed in a while, and who hadn't even used the bathroom properly.

"Eric?" I asked, staring at that door. "What's behind there?"

"The basement," Eric said, pulling me along.

"Why does it smell as though there are people down there?"

Eric shrugged. "It's where we keep our prisoners."

I laughed. Until I realized he wasn't joking. "What?"

"This is not the time or place to discuss that," Eric said with finality as we entered the bar and made our way to the chairs on the stage. We sat down and I tried not to think too hard about what Eric had just revealed. If I did, I might just start screaming.

So instead I observed Jessica, who sat alone at a table at the other end of the bar with a bottle of True Blood in front of her she wouldn't touch.

"What are you thinking?" Eric asked as he took my hand in his own. I really liked it when he did that. Direct contact with my maker made me feel at peace.

"I feel sorry for her," I said honestly. "That her maker didn't want her. She looks like she's kind of stuck in vampire limbo."

Eric snickered at my turn of phrase, and I frowned at him.

"Can you imagine what it would have felt like if Godric hadn't wanted you after he turned you?" I asked softly. That sobered Eric up right quick. "I can't imagine what it would have felt like if you hadn't wanted me."

Eric stared at me. "You'd have had Godric," he said quietly.

I shrugged. "But I wouldn't have had you, and you're my maker."

"This would have made you unhappy?" Eric asked cautiously.

"Of course," I said, looking him in the eye. "We have a connection. I can feel you inside me always. I would have been very unhappy if you'd dumped me like Bill dumped poor Jessica, no matter Godric would be there for me."

Eric gave me a bright smile, brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it. "Good," he said simply.

We didn't say anything else for a while, and I wondered what Eric had meant with his response. Sometime my maker was just impossible to figure out.

"What drew you to Godric?" Eric asked suddenly, and I snapped my head around to stare at him.

"You were a witch and he a vampire," Eric continued, giving me a curious look.

I didn't mind telling him about Godric and me, but I couldn't very well do that in a bar full of humans and other vampires. It was none of their business.

"Well," I said with a small smile. "For one thing, he knew how to pronounce my name properly. Most Americans, especially in Texas, make it sound like 'turd'."

Eric snorted with laughter.

"This isn't really a good place to tell you, but I will tell you later, if you want me to," I said, and Eric nodded. We went back to observing the humans quietly.

The bar closed at 2 am sharp and all the humans were herded out. That left the vampires, who gathered in the bar area to look at us. Some looked curious, some looked bored, and some, like Jessica, looked downright hostile.

Eric rose from his seat and pulled me up with him. "I want to introduce my child, Turid," he said. All the vampires nodded at me, and I nodded back. Then Eric pulled me off the stage and led me out of the bar towards his Corvette.

That was it? That was the big introduction? I shook my head. I hadn't expected cake and a fanfare, but certainly a bit more than just one sentence and a few nods. Ah well. Vampires worked in mysterious ways. We drove back to Eric's house in silence, and once we got there, Eric led me down to the underground lair and into the bedroom.

"Sit," he said, his posture stiff.

I sank down onto the bed and wondered what the hell was going on now.

"We need to discuss what you said earlier," Eric said in a rather deliberate way, as though he was searching for the right words. "You confuse me. You say it would make you unhappy if I had released you, yet you also claim I was merely at the wrong place at the wrong time and now I'm stuck with you."

I gaped at him.

"Do you honestly believe," Eric said, his voice becoming darker and louder. "That I would have made you my eternal companion if I hadn't - " He snapped his mouth shut and paced in front of me for a few moments. "Do you think this is all a mistake?" he snarled, his fangs snapping out. "Are you just biding your time here until you can run back to Godric? Am I just that unimportant to you?"

Eric looked so enraged, for a second I worried he might strike out at me. But then he turned around and stormed out of the bedroom.

I stared at the empty doorway, feeling colder than I ever had before.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

My maker had just rejected me.

I couldn't move for a long time, yet all I wanted to do was hurry after him and beg forgiveness.

My maker, my blood, my world, my _everything_, had just rejected me.

Because I had run my mouth. I had said things I perhaps shouldn't have said. I had been unfair to him. Then again, Eric wasn't known for his great communication skills, either. He could have talked about this with me sooner. Finally, I shook my head. I'd only been a vampire for two nights and so much had happened in those two nights. There hadn't been any time to discuss our situation, our bond, our future.

I'd been accidentally killed by a friend, turned a vampire by my boyfriend's child, ripped away from the man I loved and now my maker was convinced I thought he was unimportant and I was just biding my time here.

My head spun as I slowly got up and started undressing. Dawn was still a few hours away, but I didn't know what else to do besides getting ready for bed. I pulled off my dress, put it on a hanger in the closet, and then slipped out of my lingerie.

I stood there, naked, and looked at the doorway again.

Perhaps I had been unfair to Eric earlier with my ill-conceived comments, but Eric was being unfair to me now. He hadn't even given me a chance to explain myself.

This wouldn't do. We had to fix this, and we had to do it now. I couldn't bear to feel so cold, so _alone_.

I found Eric in his office, typing away at the computer. He didn't look at me as I stood in the doorway, so I shuffled closer. He still didn't look at me as I stopped beside his chair, his steely gaze fixed on the computer screen.

"Eric," I whispered.

No response. Just fingers flying across the keyboard.

I lowered my head and sank down to my knees. Carefully, I pressed my cheek against his thigh. Still no response, but he didn't push me away either. I took that as a good sign.

"Let me tell you about Godric," I said, and when Eric didn't object, that's exactly what I did. I told Eric about my first meeting with Godric, I told him about Eliza and the demon, about my suicidal thoughts, about how Godric had listened and held me. I told him about Godric's first visit to my home, how we'd talked and fucked, and I told him about the FBI agents who showed up the next night, and how Godric had taken care of them for me. I told him how we'd wrecked my couch when we first exchanged blood, and at this point Eric stopped typing, leaned back in his chair, and started stroking my hair. I pressed a little closer to him and kept talking and talking, telling him every silly detail about my time with Godric.

"I've always liked you," I said, closing my eyes as Eric kept caressing my hair. "Even before I met you. Godric told me so many stories of you, and I was so excited to meet you in person. And then when you accused me of harming Godric, I was so..._hurt_ that you'd think so little of me. But when we exchanged blood and Godric shared me with you, I felt like I'd known you for as long as Godric had."

I finally dared to glance up at him. Eric was watching me with an impassive expression.

"And now you're my maker and it connects us more intimately than anything can. And I don't know what that means for my relationship with Godric, or my relationship with you. I cannot just abandon Godric. I love him. But I cannot abandon you, either. Just now, when you stormed out, I thought my world was ending. The thought of not having you in my life is devastating."

I swallowed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't know how we're going to do this, what our future is going to be like, but I'd like to share my future with both you and Godric. That would make me happy."

Eric gently grabbed my arms and pulled me in his lap. He stroked his hand down my back.

"Sharing you with Godric would please me as well," Eric said, and I was about to smile when I noticed Eric's frown. "But that's not what we've been doing so far. Sharing."

"Huh?"

"Sharing implies equal time and attention," Eric said, now caressing my cheek. "Yet you treat me differently than you treat Godric."

"What do you mean?" I was utterly confused by this.

"Just this evening, you confided in Godric on the phone, yet you did not confide in me, even though your worries did concern me."

I lowered my head. "I wasn't even aware I was doing that. I certainly didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Eric said and brushed his lips across my cheek. I sighed happily at his touch.

"But it's only been two days," I said, thinking about Eric's enraged response earlier. "You can't expect me to suddenly know exactly how I should act in this new situation. I have some sort of feelings for you. I mean, I go nuts just thinking of you with someone else."

Eric chuckled and held me a little closer. "I know how you feel."

"What?"

"You think this possessiveness in our bond only goes one way?" Eric asked, and I gaped at him in surprise. "I feel the same way about you as you feel about me."

"Really?" I asked, perking up a little at that revelation. "Oh. Wait. So you don't want to share me with Godric."

Eric shook his head. "Godric is my maker. I am made out of him, as you are made out of me. Sharing you with my maker does not bother me. But when that human touched you earlier, when he tried to kiss you..." Eric trailed off, and I poked him with my elbow.

"What?" I asked with a grin. "What about that human?"

"Well, let's just say I was very pleased when you threw him across the bar. If you hadn't, I probably would have done so myself."

"Oooh," I said, wriggling in his lap until I was straddling him. "You were jealous!"

"You are mine," Eric said, as though that answered everything. And perhaps, at that moment, it did. Eric leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. I responded at once, brushing my lips across his, pressing my body closer. Eric's tongue darted out, and I parted my lips to let him in. We kissed slowly, just enjoying the moment without wanting to hurry to greater things.

This was the first time I'd kissed Eric without either one of us having fangs, and I loved the sensation. In a way, it felt like our first real kiss. But of course, after a while, our bodies demanded more than just this small contact, so Eric scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the bedroom. He lowered me to the sheets, and stood back to take off his clothes. I observed him as I stretched myself out, arching my back a little to draw attention to my breasts, and spreading my legs slowly to offer Eric a teasing view.

Eric really was handsome. Well-built, with muscles in all the right places, and very generously endowed.

"Tell me what you want," Eric said as he stood before me naked and ready.

I bit my lip, and spread my legs further, drawing my knees up to my chest. I lowered my hands, spread my folds and touched a fingertip to my clit. "I want your mouth, your tongue, here," I whispered, circling my clit once with my finger. "But you can't torture me like before."

Eric grinned, showing fang. He crawled up the bed and positioned his head between my legs. "No," he said, as I wanted to pull my hands away. "Spread yourself open for me."

So I did. I kept my folds spread wide open, and then Eric leaned closer, and just with the tip of his tongue he licked my clit. And that's all he did. He flicked the tip of his tongue across my clit. _Flick, flick, flick_.

I thought I'd go insane. I squirmed beneath him, as my pleasure was building so achingly slow. "Please," I groaned, trying to buck my hips up to get more contact. But Eric held my body down with his hands on my hips and continued his sweet torture. _Flick, flick, flick. _

"Fuck, Eric, please!" I begged, tearing at the sheets with my hands. "Faster!"

_Flickflickflick._

"ERIC!"

_Flickflickflick._

When I came, it felt as though my orgasm was dragged up all the way from my feet and my whole belly clenched as I shuddered against the sheets. Eric released me, slid up the sheets and positioned himself. He thrust inside me, and I tried to grab him, his shoulders, his arms, anything, but Eric just leaned back, gripping my hips tightly as he raised my lower body off the sheets. He fucked me as though he didn't have a care in the world, slow and lazily.

"You need to learn patience, my child," he said, burying himself inside me completely, and then he didn't move. He just sat there.

"Gah!" I tried to move my hips, but I was no match for Eric's iron grip. "You're so mean!"

Eric smiled charmingly at me, and then pulled out and thrust back inside. Once. "You also need to learn to address me properly, my child."

"Is this about the whole master thing again?" I whined, clenching my hands in the sheets.

By way of answer, Eric pulled out and thrust back in.

"Goodness, you don't give up, do you?" I narrowed my eyes at him. He just smiled sweetly in return. Well, two could play that game. I relaxed my entire body and stared at the ceiling. Heck, had there been a book within my reach, I'd have started reading it.

But Eric was having none of that. He pulled back out of me inch by inch until he was completely out, and then rubbed his entire length against my folds, brushing my clit again and again.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I tried so desperately not to respond, but he kept putting more and more pressure on my clit and there was no way I could deny an impending orgasm.

"Okay, fine, _master_!"

"There," Eric said, and rammed his cock inside of me. I cried out in shock. "You only needed to ask." And he released my hips, leaned over me, and started pounding inside of me. I wrapped myself around him and pushed back and within moments pleasure washed over me, my body clenching around him. Eric growled and bit my breast, lapping at the drops of blood that welled up. He thrust once, twice, and then stiffened on top of me, filling me as he came.

Eric collapsed on top of me, and we held each other as we both came down from our climaxes.

"Ugh," I said, stroking his back. "Can we maybe have normal sex next time?"

Snorting with laughter, Eric pulled his head up and stared down at me. "What kind of sex have you been having with my maker if you do not think this is normal?"

I huffed. "Very good sex that wasn't always about power."

"Ah, but my darling child," Eric said, and kissed the tip of my nose. "You are a vampire now, and with vampires, everything is about power."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You and the mob."

Eric pulled out of me, and rolled onto his back. I followed him and propped my chin up on his chest. "There is a reason very few vampires stay together in long-term relationships," Eric said, and it alarmed me a little to learn this. "And that reason is power."

"So does that mean that you and I, or Godric and I couldn't - "

"No," Eric said at once. "You are naturally submissive."

I sat up. "I am not that submissive," I said, my feministic sensibilities ruffled.

"Oh, but you are," Eric said, and clasped his hands behind his head. "Did you not submit to me just now? Or earlier, when you kneeled at my feet? Or at the bar, when I told you to feed on a glamoured human when you really didn't want to? And haven't you submitted to Godric? Haven't you let him lead you all this time?"

My mouth dropped open, and I thought I had to protest these..._these accusations_, but I couldn't think of an argument that made sense.

"Turid," Eric said patiently. "Being submissive is not the same thing as being weak. You are not weak by any stretch of the imagination, not in your character or in your magical talents." He reached out his hand and stroked it down my side. "In fact, it takes a very strong person to be able to submit to another."

"You submit to Godric," I mumbled, and I hoped it sounded like an accusation. I wanted it to be one.

"Yes," Eric said and then smiled. "Why do you think Godric and I still have such a close bond even after a millennium?"

"Oh." I bit my lip. "So you don't mind submitting to Godric?"

"No, I don't." Eric sat up and put his hand on my knee, squeezing it. "I believe this is why my bond with Pam waned so quickly. She is still a loyal and obedient child, but she never _wanted_ to submit to me." Eric scooted closer so he could wrap his arms around me to pull me against his chest. "But you, my beautiful child, you want to submit, you want me to lead, and that means we have a chance, a good chance, that our bond will last for as long as my bond with Godric has."

I closed my eyes and slid my arms around his neck. "So it's a good thing?"

"Yes," Eric said, nuzzling my ear. "It's a very good thing."

We sat together for a while, just holding each other, caressing and kissing, and it gave me a sense of peace I hadn't felt in a long time. I had only ever been myself around Godric or Eric, but if that meant that we had a chance to be together for centuries, well, then I honestly didn't mind being who I was. Naturally submissive, apparently. Perhaps growing up in today's culture had made me wary of the whole idea of a woman submitting to anyone, but the way Eric explained it, it made perfect sense. Besides, being submissive didn't mean I couldn't have my own opinions, or do my own things. It just meant I was comfortable to let Eric or Godric take control of me or a situation we were in.

Eric pulled back and looked at me with a smile. "I have some more work to do. It's still an hour until dawn."

"Okay," I said, and lowered myself to the sheets while Eric got up.

"I won't be long." And with that, Eric disappeared inside his office. I closed my eyes and thought about Godric, and how much I had to tell him. So much had happened in just one night. How could I ever squeeze that all in one phone call?

I sat up. I didn't have to tell him all in just one call. I hurried inside Eric's office. Eric looked up at me from his desk, where he was sorting through a stack of forms.

"Eric, do you have a piece of paper or something? I thought I'd write Godric a letter, to tell him all that's happened tonight."

Eric gave me a look and it wasn't a happy one.

"What?" I asked, unsure if I'd done something wrong. Again.

"You cannot write a vampire, especially not one of Godric's standing, on just a piece of paper," Eric said, and he pulled open a drawer. He retrieved what looked like a leather binder and gestured me to come closer. "This is what you need. Proper stationary."

"Oh." I watched as Eric opened the binder to show beautiful, thick, ivory paper and matching envelopes. "That is very nice."

Eric gave me a knowing look. "You also need a proper pen." He rummaged through another drawer and came up with a fancy fountain-pen. "Here, have fun." He handed both the pen and the binder to me.

"Thank you." I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and all but skipped out of his office. I settled in the living room, sitting on the floor beside the coffee table. That was one perk about being a vampire. Surrounding temperatures just didn't mean a whole lot anymore. I could sit naked just about anywhere without worrying about getting cold.

I uncapped the pen and took out a sheet of paper and considered what to write. First, how to address Godric? I'd never really used any pet names for him, like honey or sweetie. I'd always thought it a bit weird to call a 2000 year old guy something like that. But to address him as 'Dear Godric' just seemed so impersonal. And then it came to me. I'd just call him what he meant to me.

And so I started writing:

_My Love,_

_I have so much to tell you. I can't believe it's only been a night since we spoke on the phone. I'm not even sure where to begin. Eric took me to Fangtasia tonight, and when we got there, he needed a moment to speak with Pam, so he told me to go on alone. When I stood at the bar, this human guy approached me, seeing as the bartender didn't know who I was and he didn't accept credit cards, I couldn't pay for my drink, and this guy paid for me, despite my protests..._

And so I kept writing and told Godric everything that had happened at Fangtasia and later at Eric's home. I told him about our fight and how we'd made up, and about the conversation about submission.

When I was five pages in, Eric joined me. He sat down on the couch behind me, and I gestured at the written pages. "You can read them, if you want." Eric picked them up and read them, and I heard him chuckling here and there as I finished the letter. I addressed the envelope to Godric's nest, since I knew he received most of his general mail there.

"I've got stamps in the office," Eric said, as I folded the sheets carefully and slid them in the envelope. "But dawn is coming, so it has to wait until tomorrow."

I left the letter on the coffee table and held Eric's hand as we walked to the bedroom. And when I settled against him under the sheets I felt at peace, even though danger loomed on the horizon. I was safe here. The sun rose, and I blinked out.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Oh hell no," I said, as I stared in horror at the clothes Eric pulled out of the boxes. "I am not wearing that. Not now, not ever."

The evening had started out so well. I found myself alone in bed again when the sun set, but the moment Eric sensed me awake, he joined me and we had mind-blowing sex that didn't involve teasing. Well, not much. And after that, we took a shower together, and Eric washed my hair, and I washed him head to toe, and then he fucked me against the shower wall.

But when I'd wanted to get dressed, things had started to deteriorate. Apparently, Eric had spent the time before I'd awoken the previous night shopping online for Fangtasia outfits for little old me. He'd had them rush delivered, and his day guy Bobby had dropped them off at the house earlier.

And now he was proudly showing me the most skanky outfits ever designed in leather and rubber and vinyl and goodness knows what else kind of stupid materials.

"No," I said again as Eric gave me an expectant look. He was holding up some sort of shiny dress - well, you could barely call it a dress, it had so little material to it.

"But you agreed to sit out in the bar," Eric tried, and I immediately shook my head.

"Yes, I did, but I did not agree to do it looking like I'm offering ten dollar blowjobs to every guy who asks."

"My child, we are running a business and you must -"

I cut him off and glared at him. "Eric, you may think of me as Miss Sally Submissive, and maybe I am, but in this case I'm putting my foot down. See? My foot," and I raised my foot, "is down." And I stomped my foot down on the carpet.

Eric sighed. "Think of it as a costume."

"A costume? What's the part I'm playing? Cheap whore?"

"You are a beautiful woman - "

"I don't care. I'm not wearing anything like that. End of discussion."

Eric narrowed his eyes and dropped the dress back in the box. "Perhaps I should punish you. Maybe spank you until you see reason."

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes right back at him. "You could spank me all you want. Heck, you could spank me from here to Tokyo, but that won't change a thing. I'm not wearing that." And I stomped off into the closet to select something decent to wear.

"Turid," Eric said quietly from the doorway as I rummaged desperately through my dresses. "Why is this such an issue for you?"

"You have to ask?" I whipped around and glared at him. "Just last night those stupid guys asked me how much it would cost to have me strip for them, and that was me actually wearing a decent dress. If I put on those sleazy outfits, that's all anybody is ever going to think of me: that I'm some cheap slut who'll do anything for a dollar. Can't you just let me keep my fucking dignity?"

And to my horror, I started to cry. Big fat bloody tears, and I tried to wipe them off with my hands so they wouldn't stain the clothes around me.

Eric put his hands on my shoulders. "Don't cry," he whispered.

"I can't humiliate myself like that, Eric. I really can't. I'll wear black dresses from now on, so I'll fit in, but they'll be decent dresses. Not that slut wear."

"Very well," Eric said, and pressed a kiss on the top of my head. "We'll select some new outfits together. Something that will fit with Fangtasia's theme, but that's not...slut wear, as you call it."

"Okay," I said and wrapped my arms around him.

"I just wanted to show you off," Eric said against my hair.

"I'm not some pedigree poodle you get to primp for the dog show," I muttered against Eric's chest.

"But you're such a beautiful bitch," Eric said with a snicker. I briefly contemplated kneeing him in the groin.

"So old, and yet you still get your abc's mixed up," I said, looking up at him with a grin. "It's witch, Eric. Witch."

"Well, you can hardly blame me for that. English is only my 23rd language, after all." Eric was gloating. Bastard. Then I noticed his chest, and all the blood I'd smeared all over it. My face had to look worse. I was very happy I hadn't put on any makeup yet.

"We need another shower," I said, staring down at my bloody hands.

"Hardly." Eric pulled me towards the bathroom. We managed to repair the damage with some soap and water, and then I went about applying my makeup while Eric got rid of the slut wear. I selected a black cocktail dress to wear, one I always thought of as my funeral dress, because it was just the thing to wear to such an event.

And not much later we were ready and on our way to Fangtasia. Eric pulled over at the first mailbox we found so I could post my letter to Godric, and as luck would have it, just minutes after that my phone rang.

"Hi," I said, and smiled when I heard Godric's voice.

"Hello, my dear heart. How are you?"

"I'm good. Hey, did you know your child has the worst sense in fashion? Ever?"

Godric laughed so loudly, I had to pull away the phone from my ear for a moment. "What did he try to make you wear?" Godric asked, as Eric sat behind the wheel grumbling curses in Swedish.

"Club wear," Eric yelled, just as I said, "Slut wear."

"I am glad to hear you two are getting along so well," Godric said, not without some sarcasm.

"We're all right, actually," I said in between giggles. "Oh, and I just sent you a letter. A long letter. Much has happened."

"Then I look forward to reading it. You should receive your laptop this evening."

"Oh, that's great. I promised Eric I'd write a blog for Fangtasia." Eric gave me a look, but I ignored it. "As part of my employment."

"Eric lets you write about the bar on the internet?" Godric asked, sounding doubtful.

"I will approve the posts first," Eric said loudly, which made me glare at him.

"Yeah, my boss wants full control," I said, and stuck my tongue out at Eric as Godric chuckled in my ear.

We chatted for a few more minutes. Godric filled me in on what was happening in Dallas, and I told him more about the slut wear fiasco. Our talk was much more comfortable than the one we'd had yesterday, which pleased me to no end. Perhaps things would work out for the three of us. We said our goodbyes and I clicked my phone shut just as Eric pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia.

We walked inside the bar hand in hand, but we didn't get very far before we were approached by a teenager holding a briefcase.

"There you are, Sheriff Northman," the teenager said. He was a vampire, of course, but he looked very immature. Godric looked young, yes, but at least he looked like he'd landed on the right side of the fence, just close enough to full masculinity. This vampire looked just way too young to be as old as he probably was.

"Andre," Eric said by way of greeting. He gripped my hand a little tighter, which set off alarm bells in my head. And through our bond I knew Eric did not like this guy one bit.

"And is this your new child?" Andre asked, looking me over without a hint of shame. "My, she certainly is a tasty treat, isn't she? I'm sure our Queen would love to meet her."

I gulped.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

**AN: They just can't catch a break, can they? We'll see what Andre wants in the next chapter, which should be up tomorrow or the day after that. Thanks for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Then I'll be sure to bring my child along next time I have business in the palace," Eric said and he even managed a charming smile. Then he looked at me. "Turid, why don't you go and help Pam at the entrance while Andre and I conduct our business in my office."

It was an admirable attempt to get me away from Andre, I had to give that to Eric, but of course, Andre wouldn't have any of it.

"Nonsense," Andre said generously. "Let her come with us. She still needs to learn so much. Why not start with teaching her tonight how vampires conduct their business?"

Eric nodded as if in gratitude, but I knew he was anything but pleased. "Very well. Right this way, Andre." And he tugged me along, Andre on our heels. I followed Eric without protest. I wasn't stupid. I remembered Eric had told me the Queen had a job for him and would send one of her children over to inform him of it.

And I was willing to bet good money Andre was that child. Which meant he was a powerful figure in the state of Louisiana. And that also meant that little old me would be best off keeping quiet while acting the part of obedient child to my master.

Eric waved for Andre to settle on the couch in his office while he sat down behind his desk. I stood beside him. No one had told me to sit down, after all.

Andre kept staring at me with his bright blue eyes. They weren't calm and controlled like Godric's blue eyes, or filled with mischievousness and just a hint of danger like Eric's blue eyes. No, Andre's eyes were just downright creepy, as was the rest of him.

No one spoke for a while. Eric sat impassively in his chair, I stood rigidly beside him, and Andre just stared at me. Until he looked at Eric with an admonishing smile.

"Sheriff," Andre said pleasantly. "Your hospitality isn't what it used to be. You have yet to offer me something to eat."

"I didn't realize you needed help finding a willing human," Eric said easily, and reached for his phone. "But please, allow me to make amends for my carelessness." And with that he told Pam over the phone to send in two humans.

"Your new child will not be feeding?" Andre asked with a tilt of his head.

"She is still very young. We will share."

And all the while I was trying my hardest to keep a blank face. I didn't want to feed on a human, not with that creep in the room. But I knew damn well and good I couldn't refuse, not without making Eric look really bad, and then he'd be forced to punish me and I really did not want to go there.

Pam entered the office with two human girls in tow. One had bright red hair, obviously a colour from a bottle, and a curvy figure. The other one had ink-black hair and she was short and petite.

After a look from Eric, Pam nodded once and left the office.

"Come here, dear," Andre said, holding out his hand to the red-head. "What's your name?"

"Sylvie," the girl muttered as she sank to her knees in front of Andre.

"Now, Sylvie," Andre said as he gestured towards his groin. "I want you to take good care of me."

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

I risked a brief glance at Eric, but Eric was staring at the scene in front of us impassively. The other girl had shuffled closer to us.

"Hi, I'm Raven," she said with a expectant smile as she stared at Eric.

"Come here," was all Eric said as he pulled the girl into his lap. He brushed her hair back, exposing both sides of her throat and then nodded at me to start feeding.

Meanwhile, Sylvie had taken Andre out of his pants and was sucking him down with vigour. "You will not partake in a little pleasure?" Andre asked curiously.

"My child will take care of me later," Eric said, nuzzling Raven's throat.

"I would love to see that," Andre said, curling his hand in Sylvie's red hair as he forced her head down further.

Oh fucking hell no.

Eric gave me a look that told me to get moving, so I squared my shoulders and lowered my head towards Raven's throat. It was an awkward angle, since I was still standing beside Eric, but I managed to find a position that worked, and I inhaled. The scent of Raven's blood was enough to make my fangs pop out, and just as Eric bit down on the other side of her throat, I sank my fangs in as well. Raven moaned and wriggled in Eric's lap, but I was pretty sure Eric wasn't touching her in a way that would upset me.

Raven's blood tasted sweet enough, but the sound of Sylvie slurping on Andre's dick was enough to keep my bloodlust in check. I fed for as long as Eric did, and then pulled back and licked the wounds closed. Raven seemed a little bit disappointed when Eric told her she could leave, but she left the office without comment.

I glanced at Andre, and he was giving us an expectant look. Sylvie was still working him hard. And much to my horror, Eric leaned back in his chair and started undoing his pants.

He had to be fucking kidding me!

But I knew I couldn't get out of this. I knew I was Eric's child and as his child I was expected to obey him. If I didn't, I would be punished, and Andre would probably get a much bigger kick out of seeing me getting punished than out of seeing me sucking Eric's cock.

So, with a glare at Eric, I sank to my knees and opened his pants wide enough so I could take him out. I was pleased to note he was only half-hard. Apparently Eric was getting about as much pleasure from this situation as I was. The good thing about me finding the whole thing so distasteful was that my fangs had snapped back in, so I didn't have to worry about them getting in the way.

I sucked Eric into my mouth, and it took a little getting used to. I hadn't done this with Eric before, and since he was so generously endowed, it was quite a stretch. But at least it was made easier by my no longer needing to breathe.

I moved my mouth up and down Eric's erection, pumping him with my hand while Eric stroked my hair. He stroked it softly, gently and I thought, perhaps apologetically.

Sylvie was still slurping across the room, and now Andre was moaning. I moved harder and faster around Eric, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, and thankfully Eric complied with my wishes. Before long, he thrust his hips up once and came with a soft grunt. I swallowed everything he offered me, licked him clean, and then sat back and tucked him away inside his pants.

Eric gave me a genuine smile and pulled me into his lap. I had passed the test, apparently, and even though I knew we'd be having words about this later, for the time being I was just glad it was over and done with.

Andre pushed poor Sylvie's head down until she gagged when he came, and then yanked her into his lap and bit down on her throat. Sylvie pretended valiantly to be enjoying it all, but she looked far too shocked for it to be believable. Andre didn't even bother to lick the wounds closed, but just pushed her off his lap after he was done and Sylvie hurried out of the office while Andre tucked himself away and straightened his clothing.

And then Andre went back to staring at me.

I sat still in Eric's lap, staring at some stray pencils on Eric's desk. One of Eric's arms was resting comfortably around my waist, and I soaked in the contact. It told me that Eric, my maker, was keeping me safe.

"Rumour has it she's a witch," Andre said out of the blue, and it took all of my strength not to snap my gaze up in surprise. How the hell did he know this? "Yet she obeys so nicely."

"She pleases me greatly," Eric said vaguely. His charming smile was back in place.

"Sophie-Anne once turned a witch," Andre said, leaning back in the couch as though it was story time and he was eager to participate. "Of course, she had to put him down after just a few months. He was completely out of control, the poor bastard."

My body went rigid, and Eric's arm tightened around me. I kept my eyes focused on those stupid pencils. My, weren't these the prettiest pencils I ever did see?

"I didn't know that," Eric said.

"Witches are notoriously hard to control once turned," Andre said. I could see from the corner of my eye he was studying his fingernails, as though he was already bored with the subject.

"I foresee no such troubles with my child," Eric said with a hint of power in his voice. "She is submissive and has excellent control, even for one so young as she is."

"Yes, I can see that." Andre shifted on the couch, stretching out his legs. "My, my, Northman. First a telepath, and now a witch."

"I do not own the telepath," Eric said.

"But not for lack of trying," Andre replied with a chuckle. "Or so I've heard."

_What? _I couldn't stop a frown from tugging on my brow. Eric wanted Sookie? In response, Eric held me a little tighter still.

"Who wouldn't want to own such a valuable asset?" Eric said smoothly. "But she belongs to Bill Compton. He lends her to me when I have need for her talents. I'm sure he'll do the same for our Queen should she desire it."

"Yes, I'm sure he will," Andre said vaguely. "And perhaps now your child can excuse us while we conduct the rest of our business?"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I looked at Eric, and after he nodded at me I slid off his lap and walked out of the office with my head held high. I did offer both Eric and Andre a brief nod, remembering my vampire manners, before I closed the door behind me. I zipped through the bar, made a brief stop in the bathroom to clean up the blood stains around my mouth, and then joined Pam at the entrance. Eric had told me earlier to go to her, and seeing as I had no clue what was really going on, I thought it best to stick to his initial plan.

"What did that slime ball want?" Pam asked me by way of greeting. She looked at a girl's ID and then waved her through.

"Ugh," I said with a shudder. "Besides playing the voyeur? I'm not sure. He told me to leave before they talked actual business."

"Eric will tell us later," Pam said, and then glared at a few young men who were claiming they'd accidentally forgotten their ID's but they were really all twenty-one.

"Don't come back as long as you're still attached to your mother's teat," Pam snarled, and the guys hurried off, laughing all the way back to their car that they'd dared defy a scary vampire.

I spent the next half hour helping Pam check IDs and offering information about the bar to humans who were brave enough to ask. I even spotted one guy with a suspiciously sparkly aura, but Pam took quick care of him when I pointed him out to her. Pam and I worked in silence, as she didn't seem the type to make unnecessary small-talk, but it gave me the opportunity to think about what Andre had revealed.

That witches were notoriously hard to control once turned. What the hell did that actually mean? But as I pondered those words, it dawned on me that Andre had wanted to test me. That the whole thing had been a set-up of sorts. He'd just wanted to see if I'd obey Eric, and since I had, I guessed I'd passed his test.

Well, perhaps the whole horrible situation had been worth it, then, if it meant Andre now believed Eric had me well under control. And that I had myself well under control.

Eventually, Eric made his way towards us with long strides, and he didn't stop as he passed us. He just jerked his head and I knew that to mean he wanted us to follow him out onto the parking lot.

"He left," Eric said, as the three of us stood well away from the bar. "And I now believe my office is bugged."

My mouth dropped open, while Pam asked, "How do you know this?"

"Because I told no one here Turid is a witch, and yet Andre knew."

"She's a witch?" Pam asked with far more emotion in her voice than she was normally willing to let show. She snapped her mouth shut, and then glared first at me, and then at Eric.

"Yes," Eric said simply. "I have no need for your opinion on this matter, Pam."

Pam pursed her lips but didn't comment.

"What did he want?" I asked quietly.

"We will discuss that later," Eric said, and gave us both a significant look. "But for now know you are not to discuss any sensitive matters in my office, or in the entire bar. Turid, especially not whatever kinds of magic you can still perform."

I nodded, and Pam crossed her arms.

"Pam, give us a moment," Eric said, and with a nod Pam turned around and sauntered back to the bar.

Once we were alone, Eric took me in his arms and held me close. "I am so proud of you, my little witch."

"He was testing me, wasn't he?" I asked as I pressed myself against Eric, content with the feel of his body against my own. "Testing us even?"

"Yes, I believe he was."

"I really didn't like doing that," I muttered, since I thought it important Eric knew this.

"I could tell," Eric said with a chuckle and pulled back a little so he could look down at me. "But you did it, nonetheless. You were smart enough to recognize the potential danger, and you trusted me to keep you safe. You did so very well."

I smiled, happy with Eric's compliments, and then Eric kissed me and I returned it eagerly. We kissed for a while, our lips and tongues moving slowly. It was a gesture meant to comfort, not to arouse.

As we pulled apart, I licked my lips and looked up at Eric with a frown. "Is it true, though, what he said? About witches being turned?"

Eric nodded. "There is a reason so few witches are ever turned."

I snorted, pulling back from his embrace a little. "You mean, besides the fact that most witches would turn any vampire who tried to bite them into a toad before they'd ever let them get close?"

"Yes, besides that," Eric said with a laugh. "Most witches who are turned lose control in one way or another. Because of the bloodlust, because of their own powers, or because they refuse to accept the authority of their maker. To yield magic, one needs control. Yet vampires have trouble keeping control. It is a volatile combination."

I was suddenly chilled to the bone. "Then why the heck did you turn me?" I whispered.

"Because I knew you were different," Eric said with a small smile.

"Oh please," I muttered. "I'm just your average witch -"

"A witch who resisted using enormous powers given to her by a demon for many months? A witch who willingly submitted to a vampire, submitted to his care and control? That is hardly an average witch."

I gaped at him. "But - " And I closed my mouth again. I didn't know what to say. "How did you know about the demon? I didn't tell you until last night."

"Godric told me after the blood exchange, while you were sleeping. I had tasted its dark power in your blood, so I asked him about its source." Eric stroked my back and kissed my forehead. "Perhaps I didn't know much about you when I turned you, but I knew you had a lot of power, and yet you had complete control. That is what convinced me it was safe to turn you."

"Oh." I stared down at our feet, overwhelmed by the whole damn situation.

"And now Andre knows I have complete control over you," Eric said happily.

I snorted.

"You do not believe I have complete control over you, my darling child?" Eric asked with just a bit of cheek.

"If you did," I said, and offered him a smirk, "I'd be standing here wearing slut wear, not my decent cocktail dress."

Eric burst out in laughter and squeezed me against his chest. "Ah, but I am a good and patient maker. I know when to make concessions."

"Yeah, right. You caved, pal. You saw the tears and you just went down. Admit it." I couldn't stop giggling as I said it.

Eric smacked my butt, and I yelped in surprise. "Maybe I should have just spanked you as I originally planned."

"No spanking," I said, and the moment I said it I knew that was just the wrong thing to say. Eric immediately smacked my butt again. "Stop it."

"You only need to say the magic word," Eric said in a sing-song voice, and promptly smacked me again.

"Please, stop, my most benevolent maker, he who is master of all that is good and right in this world, and who would never spank his child against her wishes."

"Nice try," Eric said, but he couldn't stop his laughter. He smacked me yet again.

"Fine. Please, stop, master?" I looked up at him with wide eyes, offering him my most innocent expression.

"There, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" Eric cupped my ass with both hands and rubbed softly. Of course, this pressed me up against his groin, and I could tell he was really enjoying our little spat.

"Later," he whispered, as I gently pressed against his erection. He gave me a fierce kiss and then released me. We walked back to the bar hand-in-hand, and I felt a lot better now that Eric had explained his reasoning for turning me despite me being a witch. I wasn't sure yet if I believed I had enough control, but clearly Eric believed it, and that meant something.

We settled in our chairs on the little stage. I ordered a bottle of blood from one of the waitresses, and Eric and I observed the crowd, occasionally making small-talk as he held my hand. It was comfortable enough, as long as I ignored some of the looks people were giving me. One of those people was Pam. Last night, she had mostly ignored me, but now, after the news Eric had given her, she kept shooting me looks.

I understood why she was so wary of me, after what I'd learned about witches turned vampires, but I really hoped she'd at least give me the benefit of the doubt. Even though her bond with Eric wasn't as close anymore as it once had been, she was still his child every bit as much as I was, and the last thing I wanted was for Pam and I to distrust each other. I decided to give her the time and space she needed, even though part of me wanted to walk up to her and explain myself until she saw reason. But I knew that approach wouldn't endear me to Pam. I just had to be patient.

Another person who kept looking at me was Jessica. I watched as Jessica desperately tried to make conversation with several people, but it just didn't seem to be working for her. People either ignored her, or, in one case, laughed at her.

"Maybe we should let her feed on someone?" I suggested as I leaned closer to Eric.

"Who?"

I sighed. "Jessica. She looks so...lonely."

Eric shook his head. "We let her feed on someone the first night she was here. Pam and I had to pry her off the guy with force. She has no control."

"Okay, but she's not going to learn control unless someone teaches her," I tried to reason, but Eric gave me a stern look.

"Which is her maker's job, not ours. I have you to look after now, and Pam has no time to teach a new vampire."

"Maybe someone else - "

"Nobody else wants her," Eric said. "She's very annoying."

I sighed again. I just felt so sad for her. We were like a vampire yin and yang. Opposite sides of a coin. Here I sat at my maker's side, and my maker was committed to me. He cared for me and taught me what I needed to know. And there sat Jessica, all alone, since her maker didn't even acknowledged her existence.

"The best we can do for her is supply her with blood and keep her out of trouble," Eric said, squeezing my hand. I nodded my acceptance of the situation. At least for now.

Just as I was contemplating going over to Jessica to talk to her, offer her a bit of company at least, a familiar face walked into the bar.

"Ally?" I shouted in shock. Ally waved at me and I shot up from my chair and rushed towards her.

We gave each other a big hug, much to the surprise of everyone in the bar. Vampires aren't supposed to hug, after all.

"What the heck are you doing here?" I asked her as we released each other.

She held up a familiar bag. "Brought your laptop."

I gaped at her. "You came all this way just to bring me my laptop?"

"Yep," she said with a huge grin. "I can't stay too long. I'm driving back straight away."

"You drove all this way?"

"Sure! Gerald let me borrow his vintage Ford Mustang, so I'm definitely not complaining." Her grin grew impossibly wider.

"Well, at least let me get you some blood." I guided her to a free table and waved a waitress over. We both ordered some blood, and as we waited for our drinks, I glanced over at Eric. He was watching our antics with obvious amusement.

"I cleaned out your kitchen last night," Ally said, as we were both sipping our True Bloods. "Got rid of all the food nobody will be eating."

"You didn't have to do that," I said quickly.

Ally shrugged. "Godric asked for a volunteer. It's the least I can do for you." She gave me a small smile. "Now what do you want to do with your houseplants? I can just pop in once a week to water them."

I shook my head. "You can take them if you want them. I'm not sure when I'll next be in Dallas."

"I'll take 'm then. I love plants. Gerald will complain, of course, but I'll take good care of them."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a bit overwhelmed by Ally's thoughtfulness. "Oh, there are also a few potted tomato plants in my back yard. Maybe you can give them to my next door neighbour, Old Mrs Miller? She's been enjoying my excess tomatoes already, I'm sure she'd love to take the plants."

"I'll see that she gets them," Ally said. "So, how have you been?"

I shrugged. "All in all, I'm okay," I said honestly.

"Yeah? How's your maker been treating you?" Ally leaned to the side to look at Eric up on the stage, and she gave him a little wave. Eric quirked an eyebrow in response.

I giggled. "He's been good. Very good."

"Aahh." Ally nodded knowingly. "Godric misses you, though. Boy, was he cranky after you were gone."

"Really?" I smiled as I thought of Godric. "Well, I miss him, too."

"I'll tell him you said that." Ally downed the last of her blood and got up. "I've got to go. I don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, Texas, when dawn comes."

"It was great to see you. And thanks for bringing my laptop." I hugged her, and we held on tight for a moment.

"No problem. And if you need anything else, just let Godric know and I'll bring it over. I don't mind making the trip."

"There's this thing called Fedex, you know," I said, shaking my head in amusement.

"You try telling Godric that. I'll see you later!" And with a wave, Ally zipped out of the bar.

I made my way back to Eric and held up my laptop triumphantly as I stood in front of him. "Ta da!" I said happily. "Now I can post all your dirty little secrets on the internet."

Eric grinned, leaned forward, and smacked my butt.

"Or maybe not," I said quickly and giggled. "I'll just put it in your office. Be right back." I gave Eric a kiss, and strolled towards the back of the bar. It had been good to see Ally. She'd been part of my life in Dallas, and it made me surprisingly happy to see a part of my old life here in Shreveport.

As I entered the dark hallway, I smelled I wasn't alone. A vampire and a human, and both smelled familiar. I dropped my laptop carefully to the floor and went to investigate.

Near the backdoor, I found Jessica standing awfully close to a tall human, and when I rounded on them, I realized it was Rafael, the flying fangbanger.

"Jessica," I said calmly. "What are you doing here?"

Rafael gave me an appraising look, but there wasn't a hint of recognition in his eyes. Good. Chow had done his job well.

"None of your business," Jessica said, and rubbed her hands up and down Rafael's chest, her gaze fixed on his throat.

"It is my business," I said sharply, but Jessica ignored me.

"You're welcome to join us, if you want," Rafael said with a leer. I narrowed my eyes.

"I suggest you leave now, Rafael," I said, my voice strained.

"Hey, how do you know my name?" Rafael asked, obviously confused.

My fangs snapped down and I growled as loudly and deeply as I could. "Leave now!"

Rafael left, hurrying back to the bar. Smart guy.

"That's so totally unfair!" Jessica said, putting her hands on her side.

"Jessica, you have no business being here alone with a human," I said, trying with all my might to sound reasonable. "You have no control."

"Oh, so you get to feed on whomever you like, but I have to drink that disgusting stuff?" Jessica took a step closer to me.

"You would have killed him!" I snarled, and I grabbed her arm. Jessica tried to pull back, but I held on. I stared deep into her eyes and willed her to see reason.

"You have no control. You are not supposed to feed on humans. You should go back to the bar and have a bottle of True Blood."

Jessica blinked. "Okay," she said, and the moment I released her she walked back towards the bar as if she hadn't almost fed on and killed a human.

"Turid," I heard Eric's voice behind me. I hadn't even realized he was there.

I was about to smile at him and tell him what had happened when Eric grabbed my hand and dragged me out the backdoor and into the service alley. He didn't stop walking until we were well away from the bar.

"Turid," Eric said, and he looked at me with the oddest expression on his face. "Did you just _glamour_ Jessica?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: And the plot is thickening, as they say. Tomorrow, we'll find out what happened with poor Jessica, and we'll also be meeting Sookie and Bill again within the next few chapters. Thanks for reading, everyone! As always, let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"I did what now?" I asked, beyond confused.

"I felt your power. You glamoured her. You glamoured a _vampire_." Eric raked his hand through his hair in obvious frustration, and it was such a human gesture that it shocked me to see Eric do it.

"How can I have done that? You haven't even taught me how to glamour people yet." I said, desperate to offer some reason, as I could tell Eric was getting more and more upset by the second.

"And yet you glamoured her. You glamoured a fucking vampire!" Eric turned away from me and yelled at the top of his lungs, "Fuck!"

Eric never cursed. At least not in English. I stared at him, trembling with fear and confusion. "Why is this a problem?" I asked softly.

"Why?" Eric whipped around and glared at me. "_Why? _Because if the wrong people find out, hell, if _anyone_ finds out, it will mean a death sentence. For you, and probably for me!"

My knees gave out and I dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Eric didn't stop me, didn't even try to catch me. He stood perfectly still, staring at something in the distance.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, unsure what else to say. My mind was numb with fear. "I didn't even know I was doing it."

Eric gave a loud snort. He looked down at me, grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. "We're going home," he said emotionless. "Keep it together in the bar."

And without another word, Eric dragged me back inside Fangtasia through the backdoor. I collected my purse and my laptop, Eric exchanged a few words with Pam, and we left through the front door where Eric's Corvette stood waiting for us. We didn't speak a word on the drive home. Eric sat rigid behind the wheel, and I sat trembling beside him.

None of this made sense. I hadn't meant to glamour Jessica. I'd only wanted her to see reason. Sure, I'd wanted her to see reason very badly, and maybe that's why I'd pushed a little power into her within realizing it. But glamouring her? I just couldn't believe it. I didn't doubt Eric, though. He'd been a vampire for a while. He'd know glamouring when he saw it.

Eric parked the car in the garage, but he didn't open the door for me to help me out like he usually did. Instead he just stalked inside the house without a backwards glance. I stayed put in the car. I knew my legs wouldn't hold me if I tried to get up. I'm not sure how long I sat in the car. I must have zoned out at some point. Gone into vampire downtime, even though I didn't know how to do that either, but then again, this had turned out to be a night full of discovering new talents, apparently.

A knock on the window snapped me out of it.

"The garage isn't light tight," Eric said, as he peered at me through the window. "In case you wanted to spend the day in here." When I didn't respond, Eric opened the car door with a sigh and held his hand out to me. "Come on," he said, and I accepted his hand and got out of the car. My knees didn't buckle, much to my surprise. Eric led me down to the basement and into the bathroom. He'd drawn a bath, and the air smelled like sandalwood. He helped me out of my dress and lingerie, and then quickly shed his own clothes. Carefully, he guided me inside the tub and got in behind me. I sat back against his chest and let the warm water soothe me as much as it could.

"I'm going to teach you the first lesson Godric taught me," Eric said quietly as he wrapped his arms around me. I nodded. "There is only survival or death."

I tilted my head to the side so I could look at him.

"Since this concerns you as much as it concerns me, I'm going to ask you to make a choice. Survival or death. What will it be?"

"I don't want to die," I said with a frown. "So, survival."

"Good," Eric said, and pressed a kiss to my throat. "You have chosen survival. That means we'll have to speed up your training. Considering what we learned tonight, we cannot afford to take this slowly. I will expect complete obedience. If you have any questions, ask them."

I nodded. "Will you explain why this is such a bad thing, what I did?"

"Yes," Eric said and rested his chin on my shoulder. "For vampires, only two things matter: power and control. Yet here is someone who could take both of that away from them. With your ability to glamour vampires, you have power over them and you can take away their control. If someone in a certain position of authority, like our Queen or any other royalty in this country, or the Magistrate found out about this, they would hunt us down, and they would not stop until they found us, and they would kill us. There wouldn't be a place on this earth where we could hide."

I shuddered and Eric held me tighter. "It is important that we not tell anyone about it. Do you understand? No one can know this. Absolutely no one."

"Not even Godric?"

"Not at this time. It would not be safe to tell him by phone or mail or such. Perhaps when we next meet him in person and we can have a conversation in private, we can confide in him and ask for his advice, but until that time, you must not tell him. I need your word on that. Our lives depend on it."

"I give you my word," I whispered. "I won't tell a soul, living or dead."

"Good." Eric nuzzled my neck, pressing small kisses to my skin.

"How about you?" I asked.

"Hm?"

"Aren't you worried I could glamour you?"

Eric tilted his head back and looked up. "I've made my decision."

It took me a moment, but then I knew what he meant. I turned half my body so I could look at his face. "Just before now, when I was sitting in the car, you decided as well, didn't you? Survival or death, only it wasn't your own death, but mine."

Eric smiled. "Smart girl. I do not want to kill you, so I've chosen your survival. Our survival."

I closed my eyes. I knew Eric was practical, but this was taking it to extremes. Then again, perhaps one had to be this practical, this brutal, to survive for a thousand years. It said something about Eric's character though, about his loyalty, and perhaps about his regard for me, that he was willing to take this risk. Here I was, a little witch who could scramble his brain at will, and he had decided to let me live.

Well, perhaps he was willing to take this risk, but I wasn't. I turned myself around completely, so we were lying chest to chest, the water sloshing gently around us.

"Eric," I whispered, looking at him with pleading eyes. "I didn't even know I was doing it. What if I can't control this? I need you to command me I won't ever do it to you."

"Are you sure?" Eric asked me, and I nodded at once. "Very well." He leaned closer, so he could whisper directly into my ear. "Turid, my beloved child, as your maker I command you never to glamour me."

A cold chill ran down my spine, and then spread throughout my entire body, but I welcomed it. I slid one arm around Eric's neck and rested my cheek against his shoulder and allowed my body to relax. "Thank you, master." The last word slipped out before I could stop myself.

Eric chuckled and rubbed my back. "Oh, my child, how you please me."

We sat together for a long time, just taking comfort in each other's touches and soft kisses. And despite the evening's many challenges, I was at peace, because I knew my maker had chosen me. I knew without a doubt Eric was committed to me, was willing to risk his own life to keep me safe, and there was nothing in the world more important than that.

And I knew, without a doubt, if it ever came to it, I would gladly risk my life for him.

"We have to do something about Jessica," I said, as I was thinking about the events leading up to our shared bath.

"How so?" Eric asked, unconcerned.

"She would have killed that guy if I hadn't by chance intervened."

"What do you suggest we do? Assign her a 24 hour bodyguard?"

"No," I said, and looked up at Eric with a frown. He was grinning. "Can't you just call Bill and ask if he could maybe stop by once or twice a week to teach her something? Anything?"

"I can do better than that," Eric said, and pressed a kiss to my lips. "Neither one of us now has the time to worry about Jessica. We should worry about our own survival. Tomorrow, we will return her to her maker."

"Oh, thank goodness," I said, utterly relieved. "That would be best for everyone."

Eric hummed in agreement and tried to kiss me again, but I pulled away just out of reach.

"So," I said, as I'd just remembered something else I'd learned that evening. I trailed my finger around his nipple, and then I pinched it. "What's this I hear about you wanting Sookie?"

Rumbling with laughter, Eric shifted me in his embrace so he could look down at me. "Jealous again, my dear?"

"No," I lied, not meeting his gaze. "Merely curious."

"Ah."

"So?" I pressed, and pinched his nipple again. Eric tried to pull away but there just wasn't enough room in the tub for that.

"Turid, a telepath is a valuable asset. So, yes, when Bill Compton first introduced me to Sookie, I certainly wanted her for myself."

I pursed my lips and desperately tried to ignore the jab of rejection that chilled my chest.

"But I have since then moved on to better things," Eric said, and pinched my butt.

"Huh?"

"I have found that someone who can control vampire minds is far more worthy of my time and energy than someone who can merely read human minds."

"Really?" I asked, and hated myself for sounding so uncertain.

"You think I would lie about this?" Eric asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

I broke out in a million watt smile and pressed a hard kiss to his lips. "No. I just wanted to make sure."

In response, Eric pinched my butt again, so that left me with no other choice but to pinch both of his nipples, and at once we were at war in the bathtub, water sloshing over the sides as we tried to pinch whatever body part we could reach

By the time Eric impaled me on his hard cock I was shrieking with laughter, but that quickly morphed into sounds of pleasure as Eric gripped my hips and guided me up and down, faster and faster.

"Oh, this is so good," I moaned, grabbing hold of Eric's shoulders. I didn't just mean the way our bodies connected so intimately, how we found pleasure together. I meant our blood, our bond, the trust, the commitment. But I couldn't possibly find words to express these kind of feelings, so instead I locked my gaze with Eric's and I found that his eyes looked unguarded.

Perhaps Eric was thinking the same things I was. We slowed our bodies down, our thrusts becoming less frantic, but more deliberate and intense. We stared in each other's eyes as though we'd never seen each other before, and slowly but surely our pleasure built, our bodies moving in synch towards a shared climax.

When I came, I pressed myself closer to Eric, and he held me tightly as I shuddered in his arms. Eric groaned softly in ear, his body stiffening beneath mine as he found his own release. We kissed and caressed and smiled until the water became too cold and we had to leave to comfort of the bathtub behind us.

Eric had some more work to do in his office, so I settled down in the living room with a bottle of AB-negative and wrote another letter to Godric. I told him everything that had happened that evening. I told him about Andre's visit, about Ally's appearance and about Jessica's dangerous behaviour and how we'd decided to return her to her maker. I obviously did not tell him about me glamouring the crap out of her, but I did tell him Eric wanted to step up my training, though I left out the exact reason for that.

I felt good to write all these things down, knowing Godric would be reading it. Somehow, it reminded me of the comfort I'd found in his arms, the first night we met while I confessed my deepest, darkest sins to him.

Eric joined me after a while, and read the letter. He seemed highly amused with my recounting of Andre's visit (I didn't hold back in describing every filthy detail or my very low opinion of him). He got me the stamps I needed, and after I prepared the envelope and sealed the letter inside, Eric grabbed my hand.

"One more lesson tonight," he said, and I looked at him with a frown as he pulled me to his feet. "I'm going to teach you how to rest in the ground."

Dawn was only half an hour away, and my instincts kicked in when Eric led me up the stairs.

We were moving towards danger! We were going to burn!

"Sshh," Eric whispered, wrapping his arm around my waist. "We will be safe." I had to trust him. He was my maker. He would keep me safe.

We walked into Eric's backyard, and the sky was already a much paler blue than it should be. I looked up and my body went cold, but Eric held me close and guided me across the lawn to the back of his yard where many trees grew tall and strong.

"This is one of the most important lessons any vampire ever learns," Eric said, as we stood between a few oaks. "Because we are so vulnerable during daytime, it is imperative that we always find a safe place to rest. And in an emergency situation, the safest place is the ground."

I nodded along with his words. It didn't disturb me all that much to have to dig into the ground while standing there naked. Perhaps because of my travels with my Dad, during which we spent time with people like the Aboriginals in Australia or the Maasai tribes in Kenya, it was easy for me to learn this particular skill. I just thought of it as another type of bush craft I had to learn, like making fire with nothing but a few sticks or building a shelter of branches and leaves with your bare hands.

Eric showed me how to quickly and efficiently dig a hole with my hands, how deep to make it, and how to get in and cover myself up.

"I will stay with you this time," Eric said, as he joined me in the ground. "But later this week, I expect you to do this by yourself."

I nodded, and we set to work covering ourselves with heaps and heaps of moist soil. It wasn't exactly comfortable, to lie there squashed against Eric, buried under a few feet of dirt. But I understood the importance of this lesson, so I didn't complain. I blindly searched out Eric's hand and grabbed it. And when I felt the sun creep up the horizon and my body trembled from sheer terror, Eric squeezed my hand and mumbled reassurances in my ear.

And that was all I knew when dawn broke.

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I came to the second the sun sank beneath the horizon. Eric was still holding my hand, even though he must have been awake for a while. Eric always woke up an hour or two before I did, because of his age.

"Now dig us out," Eric said, and I could hear the grin in his voice. I started clawing, eager to leave this bed of dirt behind, and Eric gave me some pointers on how to disperse the soil to the side. Soon enough I felt the night's air against my hands, and Eric decided I'd done well enough on my own and helped me break the surface.

Once I stood between the trees, naked and dirty, I stared at the sky. It was still a lighter blue than it would be at full dark. This was the earliest past dusk I'd been outside as a vampire. But I didn't get much time to admire the sky, because Eric tackled me to the ground and fucked me against the freshly disturbed soil. It was a nasty and filthy, yet utterly perfect, affair, and we both screamed as we found our release.

When Eric slung me over his shoulder and carried me towards the house, I giggled madly and slapped his butt. Something had changed between us. It was as though we'd passed some test, as if our bond had been shaken to its core yet had come out closer and stronger than ever before. I wasn't complaining, though. This new stage in our relationship made me feel all the more cared for, all the more safe.

We showered together, talking and teasing and washing each other's bodies with comfortable strokes and caresses.

As it was still early, we settled in his office. Eric pulled me in his lap, and together we went shopping online as I sipped on several bottles of blood to quench my thirst. There was much arguing, and even some threats were dispersed, but eventually we managed to find some outfits for me to wear to Fangtasia.

They were sexy, yet classy. They screamed super model, not streetwalker. And they came in colours other than just black. Some were a deep purple, some royal blue, others bright red. Eric insisted on also selecting many racy lingerie sets for me, and I let him pick whatever he wanted. Nobody but him or possibly Godric would be seeing them, after all. And secretly, I found the idea of wearing lacy, crotchless panties very arousing, knowing Eric would be the only one to know about them, and take advantage of them. I couldn't stop my mind from wandering to fantasies of Eric pressing me up against the door in his office in Fangtasia, pushing up my dress, and fucking me through these kind of panties.

Eric, of course, noticed my heightened state of arousal as we browsed through the many pieces of naughty underwear and selected our favourites. The moment we were done shopping, Eric bent me over his desk and fucked me from behind, all the while muttering about all the things he would do to me once he had me dressed in my new lingerie.

It was sheer bliss.

But, of course, it couldn't last, so eventually we got dressed (I picked a tight pink t-shirt and a denim miniskirt, which made Eric waggle his eyebrows as he took in my long, bare legs) and we drove towards Fangtasia in Eric's SUV instead of his Corvette. We were, after all, on a mission: delivering one baby vampire back in the hands of her maker.

Jessica was not pleased when Eric told her of our plan. She threw a tantrum. In the middle of Fangtasia. Eric looked like he wanted to unscrew her head from her body.

"Jessica," I said, desperate to make her see reason. "Don't you want to learn how to be a good vampire? Only your maker can help you with that."

"He's a dick!" Jessica yelled at the top of her lungs. Eric gnawed his teeth, and I silently agreed with Jessica, but that didn't change anything. Bill was her maker, whether she liked it or not.

"Okay, so Bill's a bit of a douchebag," I said, searching for ways to get through to Jessica.

"Duh!" Jessica said, crossing her arms.

"And he killed you," I continued, carefully taking in her response. Jessica shifted from one foot to another, pursing her lips. "You were innocent, and probably very scared, and now you have to go back to that very guy who ripped you from your life, your family."

Jessica stared at the floor.

"I can't even imagine what that must be like," I said softly. "But I do know what it's like to be a new vampire, and how important it is to be with your maker. He is the only one who can keep you alive. If you stay here, you won't make it for very long. Either some drainers will get you when you leave with the wrong guy, or you'll mess up, accidentally kill someone and then Eric or the Magistrate will have to stake you."

Jessica looked up at me with wide eyes. "They would do that?"

"Yes," Eric said firmly, with an expression that showed he was already thinking about finding a stake right there and then.

"There are rules to being a vampire, Jessica. Many rules. And only your maker can teach you those." I got an idea and rummaged through my purse until I found my little notebook. I quickly scribbled down my name and phone number. "Here," I said, as I handed Jessica the piece of paper. "Here's my phone number. If you have any questions, or even if you just want to talk, you can call me. Day or night."

Jessica giggled, and I realized my mistake. "Okay, so probably during the day is not an option," I said, and started giggling as well. "But if there are any problems, you give me a call, all right?"

Jessica nodded and tucked the piece of paper in the tiny pocket of her skirt.

"Let's go then." And with that Jessica followed Eric and me out of the door. As we passed Pam, she exclaimed something in Swedish, and even though I didn't understand the words, I understood her tone: it was utter relief. Eric chuckled all the way to the SUV.

Jessica sat quietly in the backseat for the first ten minutes or so, and then she asked, out of the blue, "Can I ever visit with my family again?"

I glanced at Eric, and he shook his head 'no'. I thought about it for a moment, and then realized it was because Bill had turned her against her will. He had effectively killed her, and if Jessica's family found out about that, Bill would be arrested for murder.

"No," I said quietly as I looked at Jessica over my shoulder. "You're a vampire now. It's better if you don't see them again. Besides, you have a new family now. A family that will only grow the more vampires you meet."

Jessica nodded and stared out the window, sitting hunched in her seat. "They weren't very nice, anyway."

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"My family," Jessica said. "They never let me do anything. They're very religious. They didn't even let me go to school. The only time they let me out of the house was for church or bible study. And my dad always punished us with his belt when we did something wrong."

I gaped at her in utter shock. Even Eric sat frowning behind the wheel.

"Well," I said, trying to search for a silver lining. "Then maybe it's not such a bad thing you've been given a second chance, right?"

"Yeah, maybe," Jessica said, and continued staring out the window.

"My family is dead," I said, and Jessica turned her head to look at me. So I told her about my Dad and the kind of childhood I'd had, and how he'd died so suddenly. Jessica and I really were opposite sides of a coin. She'd spent her childhood locked up, being home schooled. And I had spent my childhood roaming the world, learning from all the different people and cultures I met. And at that moment, I regretted not having talked to her sooner. Even though Jessica was just a few years younger than me, she was miles behind me in her development. She really needed someone to guide and teach her. I hoped with all my heart that Bill Compton could be that someone.

We spent the rest of the drive chatting about regular old things like music and movies, and Jessica was actually looking forward to seeing movies her parents had never let her watch, which included most movies any normal person would have seen by now. I made her some recommendations and told her if Bill didn't already have a TV and DVD player she should ask him for them. It was the least he could do for her, I thought.

By the time Eric pulled up to Bill's house, Jessica and I promised we'd stay in touch and that I would even come for a visit if Bill agreed with that. Eric didn't mind. He seemed happy enough with this new and improved version of Jessica.

Bill's house looked like it needed a makeover. Badly. Whatever paint there was left on the house that hadn't fallen off looked filthy. The wood of the front porch looked worn and the garden around the house was overgrown.

Jessica took this all in with a dubious look on her face, and I inwardly cringed on her behalf. Eric led us up the stairs and to the front door. It looked as grimed as the rest of the house. Eric knocked a few times, and I could hear muffled voices inside, followed by the rustling of clothing and the creaking of a couch.

Well, it looked like we had interrupted a little something.

Bill yanked the door open and looked up at Eric as his eyes grew wide. When he spotted Jessica, his eyes grew wider still. And when he looked at me, his mouth actually opened a little.

"Bill," Eric said by way of greeting, and pushed past him to walk inside. Jessica and I shared a look and a smile, and hurried in after Eric. We stopped in the living room where we found Sookie sitting on the couch, her hair a little tousled as she buttoned up the last two buttons of her blouse.

"Why are you here?" Bill demanded from Eric as he joined us in the living room. But Eric got no chance to reply, because Sookie shot up from the couch and rushed towards me.

"Oh my God, Turid," Sookie said, looking me over from head to toe. "What happened? Did Eric kill you?" She looked at Eric and narrowed her eyes while she crossed her arms. "Did you do this to her? Did you kill her? Because if you did, you won't get away with it!"

Ah. I guess no one had told Sookie what did actually happen in the basement of the Fellowship of the Sun. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

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**A/N: Sorry to leave it here! I'm going to have so much fun writing the next scene, I just know it! The next chapter should be up tomorrow, so you all won't have to wait for too long. Thanks for reading, everyone! Let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

I held up my hands to curb Sookie's growing anger, while Eric was smiling as though he'd just won a prize at the fair. "Eric didn't kill me," I said, holding back a grin. "Allison did. There was...an incident at the church as I tried to get Allison out. Eric gave me a second chance."

Sookie stared between Eric and me with wide eyes. "Are you sure?"

I bit my lip so I wouldn't burst out in laughter. Was she serious? "Yes, Sookie. I was there. I think I remember who tore out my throat and who gave me their blood to save me."

Staring briefly at her shoes, Sookie gave a tiny nod. Then she looked at me with a frown while she started fidgeting with a button on her blouse. "But...I thought...you and Godric...you know."

This time I couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. "Yes, Godric and I are still...you know." This seemed to offer Sookie some relief, until I grabbed Eric's hand. "But so are Eric and I."

Sookie blushed beet red and looked at me in obvious confusion.

"Godric and Eric are...good friends," I said, trying to explain this so it wouldn't offend Sookie's sensibilities. "So they don't mind," I cleared my throat, "sharing."

Sookie just stared at me.

Eric was positively beaming at this point, but I ignored him. I glanced at Jessica. She was hiding her grin behind her hand, her eyes shining with amusement.

"You see, Sookie," I said, thinking this was the perfect lead in to why we were there. "Eric is my maker, as they call it, and that means I'm his responsibility."

"Perhaps you should leave now," Bill said, but I ignored him. He was not getting away with this, not if I had anything to say about it.

"The bond between a maker and child is very important. Without intensive care of the maker, the child will probably not survive for long." I gestured at Jessica. "Meet Jessica. She's Bill's child." At hearing this, Sookie whipped her head around and glared at Bill. I carried on in my best narrative voice. "But Bill has refused to take his responsibilities seriously when it comes to Jessica, and Jessica has not been receiving the care she needs because of that. This is why we're here." And now I looked Bill in the eye and offered him my sweetest smile. "It's about time Bill took care of his child like he should have done from the start."

There was dead silence for a few moments. Then Sookie couldn't hold back any longer. "Bill? Is this true? Is this your child? How? When?"

Bill's eyes shifted from left to right. "Sookie," he said, and then closed his mouth. I had never in all my life seen a vampire look as uncomfortable as Bill did at that moment. Oh yeah, he was so busted. It served him right, as far as I was concerned. Abandoning your child and lying to your girlfriend were not qualities that endeared someone to me.

"Look," I said, as I held up a hand and glanced at Eric, who seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. "You obviously have a lot to talk about, so we'll just leave." And then I looked at Bill and sighed. "She needs to learn control when she feeds on humans. Desperately."

Bill glanced briefly at Sookie and squared his shoulders. "There is no hunting in this house."

I blinked as my mouth slowly sank open. "What?"

"I am mainstreaming," Bill said, his voice gaining more confidence. "If Jessica is to stay here, she will not be feeding on humans at all. She will also be mainstreaming."

And with that, my dam broke. Before, I'd been happy to see Bill squirm for a few moments, sure, but I'd also been confident that Jessica would now receive the care she needed. But with Bill's revelation of his intention towards Jessica's care, I could no longer hold back any of the sadness and frustration I'd felt for Jessica over the last few days.

"She's a fucking vampire!" I yelled, gesturing wildly at Jessica. Eric took a step closer to me, but didn't give any indication that he wanted me to shut up. "You want to drink bottled blood, great! Have fun! But she is a new vampire who needs to learn control, and there won't always be synthetic blood available. She'll end up killing someone, like she almost did last night!"

Bill's fangs snapped down, and Eric's followed suit. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Bill looked at me, and his eyes were blazing with fury. "This is my house and these are my rules. It was not my choice to turn Jessica -"

"Oh no, you fucking didn't," I interrupted him. "You did not just pull the 'it wasn't my choice' card." I glanced at Sookie, whose eyes were brimming with tears. "It's probably a real good thing this guy's sterile, Sookie, because if he ever knocked you up by accident, he'd dump you and the kid by the side of the road, just like he did with Jessica! You killed this girl, Bill, and you turned her, and then you were too fucking busy getting nookie from Sookie to even acknowledge her existence!"

Bill growled, but I growled back at him. "Don't you fucking growl at me. You made this child and she's your responsibility, whether you like it or not. And the fact that you did not take that responsibility, still don't want to take it, that doesn't just make you a poor excuse of a vampire, it also makes you a poor excuse of a _man_!"

Bill hunched his shoulders as he kept growling at me, but Eric stepped half in front of me and glared at Bill. "You don't want to do that, Bill," he said, his voice surprisingly calm.

"You all need to leave now," Sookie whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose. There were tears streaking her cheeks. "Please."

I inhaled a deep breath. I was trembling with anger and my power was coursing through my body so violently my skin was prickling. "Yeah, of course," I said quietly. I glanced at Jessica, who stood still as a statue. "Call me if you need anything. Good luck."

Eric put his hand on my shoulder and we left the house. It wasn't until we were seated in the car and Eric pulled out of Bill's driveway that Eric broke the silence.

"Feel better?" he asked with a grin. "Now that you've gotten that off your chest?"

"Shut up," I muttered and stared out the window at the dark country road. I didn't feel better. I felt terrible. Where he hell had that come from? I was a pretty even-tempered person. I got angry occasionally, just like everybody else, but never like that.

I had just verbally bitten off Bill's head and kicked him in the balls in his own home, for what? Because I didn't agree with his childrearing techniques?

No, it had been more personal than that. I'd felt such a strong connection to Jessica these past few days, that whatever Bill did felt personal. Not to mention that I'd had a trying few days myself, ever since I'd messed up big time and gotten myself killed and turned.

And here I'd let all my anger and fear and pain fly in the face of the person who had least to do with it all.

My goodness, what was wrong with me?

"You are so hot when you're angry," Eric said, and licked his lips as he glanced at me. "I'm thinking of pulling the car over, tossing you onto the hood and fucking you senseless."

I glared at him. "Are you trying to make me feel better? Because it's not working."

"No," Eric said, and winked at me. "I'm just really horny."

And before I could stop myself, I giggled.

"Now do you feel better?"

"A little bit," I said, and answered Eric's smile with one of my own.

"Good."

"I should probably send him a card or something. To apologize," I said, and sighed deeply.

"Relax," Eric said, completely unconcerned. "You didn't say anything everybody wasn't already thinking."

"Maybe," I said, and studied my fingernails as I chewed on my bottom lip. "But I could have used a little more tact or something."

Eric laughed. "You really are hot when you're angry."

"Oh, shut up," I grumbled. That of course only made Eric laugh louder.

"Bill's a big boy. He'll get over it," Eric said, as he put his hand on my thigh and squeezed gently. "Now, what would cheer you up?"

I gave that some thought. "Can we visit a pet store?"

Clearly, Eric hadn't been expecting that response, and he looked at me with raised eyebrows. "What on earth for?"

"It would cheer me up. Looking at animals always does. Besides, I have to buy some rats for Herbert."

Eric shook his head in disbelief and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Here, see if you can find a pet store that's still open."

I used Eric's fancy phone to browse the net until I found a big chain pet store in Shreveport that was still open for another hour. Eric put his foot down on the gas pedal, and after breaking a few speed limits, we pulled into the parking lot of the pet store with half an hour to spare. I all but skipped towards the entrance, while Eric strolled behind me, hands tucked in the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Have you ever even been to a pet store?" I asked him with a huge smile as the automatic doors opened for us.

"No, I don't think I have," Eric said, and looked around curiously as he followed me around the store. The fluorescent lighting did nothing for his complexion, and I wondered if I looked as deathly pale as he did. Well. Who cared? We were vampires, after all. We made our way towards the reptile department where I spent many moments in front of every enclosure, admiring the variety of snakes and lizards and turtles.

"This one does not look too ugly for a snake," Eric said, gesturing at an enclosure near the floor.

"Ah, you have selected the lavender albino reticulated python, sir," I said with my best British accent. "A fine choice, sir. Look at the iridescent sheen on the scales. And of course, sir, you are buying a lot of snake for your buck, as it will grow up to 25 feet long."

Eric blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah," I said, giggling madly. "This is just a baby."

Eric moved on to another enclosure without further comment.

"Maybe this is more to your liking," I said, pointing at a tiny little baby corn snake.

"It's a worm," Eric said in obvious disgust.

I poked him in the side with my elbow. "It's a cute little baby snake, Eric."

Eric snorted, and then he looked at me with a frown. "Would you like to buy another pet?"

Huh. I had not expected him to say that. "You'd let me buy the reticulated python?" I asked him with an uncertain smile.

Eric shrugged. "If it would make you happy."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a long kiss, which he eagerly returned. "Nah," I said, after I pulled back and looked him in the eye. "I've got too much going on in my life right now to look after another pet. But maybe in the future? There are plenty of snake species I'd love to keep. But not a reticulated python, don't worry."

Eric smiled and gave me another kiss, and I held his hand as we strolled around the store. We spent some time admiring the many colourful fish they had on display, which Eric really seemed to enjoy, and as we passed the mammal department I wrinkled my nose. As cute as hamsters and bunnies and mice were, their scents were quite pungent now that I had such an excellent sense of smell. Eric grinned at me as he saw me twitching my nose.

Right before closing I got some frozen rats, and as I opened the freezer Eric stared in fascination at the many dead rats and mice lying in neat little rows in their transparent bags. "They sell them as pets, yet you can also buy them dead," he said, and shook his head. I laughed. It was rather funny when you thought about it.

The young lady behind the counter had been watching us as we'd walked through the store, and as we approached her she gave us a nervous smile. She couldn't have been much older than me.

"Hi," I said, and popped the bag of frozen rats on the counter. "These, please."

"Anything else?" she asked, and looked from Eric to me and back.

Eric stood bent over, staring at a display beside the counter full of little transparent containers filled with crickets and mealworms. "Why would anyone want to buy these as pets?"

I bit my lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. "They're food," I whispered. "For lizards and such."

"Ah." Eric righted himself and smiled charmingly at the young lady. "I was wondering."

"Are you all vampires?" the young lady finally dared to ask.

"Yep," I said, and handed over my credit card to pay for the rats.

"Are you all going to eat me?" She ignored the credit card, as she was too busy staring at Eric.

"If you're lucky," Eric said with a grin, and I glared at him, muttering, "Eric!"

"My boss will be back any minute now," the girl said, and she actually took a step away from the counter.

I sighed. "We just want the rats, please." I pointed at the credit card on the counter, but she kept staring at Eric with wide eyes. And then I smelled the oddest scent; something sweet and rich and absolutely tantalizing. My fangs snapped down, but thankfully my mouth was closed.

_Her fear_. I was smelling the girl's fear. And instantly, the girl had become much more interesting and I had a hard time not staring at her, particularly at her throat. I blindly grasped for Eric and found the sleeve of his leather jacket. I tugged it, hard.

Eric pulled a roll of money from his pocket and threw a ten dollar bill onto the counter. I grabbed the rats and my credit card and all but ran out of the store. I wasn't able to relax until I smelled the night's air, and Eric put his arm around my shoulders as we walked to the car.

"This is the first time you've smelled fear?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, I think so," I said and gave him an uncertain glance. "It just smelled so...so..."

"Tasty?" Eric offered.

"Yeah," I groaned, and buried my face in my hand.

Eric laughed and tightened his arm around me. "Wait until you smell a fairy."

I groaned louder. Godric had once told me about how fairies were irresistible to vampires because of their scent and the taste of their blood. I hoped I would never have to smell any of them.

"You'll get used to it," Eric said as he held the car door for me. As I settled in my seat, Eric got in behind the wheel and started the car.

"I also haven't fed yet tonight," I mused, and then glanced at Eric. "I mean, I had some True Blood earlier, and maybe that should be enough - "

"Never apologize for wanting to drink human blood, Turid," Eric said with a stern look. "In my home, we do not _mainstream_." He said the last word with obvious distaste.

"I guess," I said, and turned the packet of frozen rats over and over in my hands. "It's just...I feel so conflicted at times like these. It's like part of me is all about the mainstreaming, about holding onto my humanity, but another part of me is all like: 'I'm a vampire, hear me roar'."

Eric burst out in laughter and patted my knee as we drove away. "But you are a vampire. What good would it do you to deny your most basic vampire instinct?"

I shrugged, staring at the dead rats in my hands.

"Look at Bill," Eric said with a huff. "He's so desperate to mainstream, to deny his hunger for human blood, and all to impress his human, that he will probably completely screw Jessica up."

"Godric never did," I said with a thoughtful frown. At Eric's curious look, I continued. "We were in a vampire-human relationship, but he never denied his instincts. He didn't have to take blood from others because he's so old, but he definitely fed on me as often as he could."

"And did you mind?" Eric asked with a wicked grin.

"No," I said with a fond smile. "At first, I was a bit worried, but Godric made sure the first time he took my blood I was suitably distracted."

"As he should have," Eric agreed with a chuckle.

"But after that, I kind of liked the idea that a part of me could sustain him. It was...intimate, you know?"

Eric nodded, and he reached for my hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "My maker was lucky to have found you."

"I was lucky that he found me." I looked at Eric, and then had to look away as a wave of emotion swept through me. "I really miss him. As much as I love being here with you, I really do miss him."

"I know," Eric said softly, and kissed my hand again. "But like my maker said, it's not forever."

"Yeah. And you know what? I don't want to deny my basic vampire instincts, at least not when it comes to feeding. But I don't want to have to kill people to do it." I wasn't sure how I'd come to that conclusion, just that I had after thinking about Bill's denial and Godric's calm acceptance of his nature.

"You don't need to kill to feed," Eric said and gave me a thoughtful look. "But you may need to glamour humans to do it. So that will be your lesson for tonight."

"Glamour a human?" I asked, slightly worried. "At Fangtasia?"

"No," Eric said as he narrowed his eyes. "We will not take that risk, since we know it's bugged. We will go to one of my other businesses."

I sat back in my seat. One of Eric's other businesses? Now I was really curious. "So what other business is this?"

"It's a surprise," Eric said with a vague smile.

And boy, was it ever a surprise, when fifteen minutes later Eric drove onto the parking lot of a casino. I stared out the window as Eric turned off the ignition.

"You own a casino?" I asked, astounded.

"Yes. Casino and hotel." Eric gestured at the tall building behind the casino.

I had a hard time comprehending this. All I knew about Eric was that he owned a bar where he spent his time sitting on a stage watching the fangbangers. He'd just never struck me as the kind of business mogul who'd own a frigging casino. I looked at him. "But why?"

Eric let out a bark of laughter. "I've been sheriff of this area for many decades, yet I've only owned Fangtasia for less than two years, ever since the Great Revelation. I had to make a living somehow."

"Okay," I said, still a little flabbergasted. "Cool."

"I'm glad you approve," Eric said with just a hint of sarcasm. "Now, I want you to go inside and get us something to eat using glamour."

"Alone?"

"I'll be watching you from a distance. I'll make sure nothing happens. But you'll have to glamour a human on your own."

"How?" I asked, and now I was starting to get worried. "You haven't even shown me - "

"You managed it yesterday," Eric said, and opened his car door as a signal this conversation was just about over and done with. "You'll manage it again."

And just like that, I was expected to go glamour a human. "But where should I take the human?" I asked over my shoulder as I walked to the entrance of the casino. Eric walked a short distance behind me.

"I have a suite here. We'll feed there."

I shook my head. Of course he had a suite, Mr big-shot-casino-owner.

The interior of the casino looked like any other casino, or so I thought. I'd never actually been inside a casino before, but I'd seen plenty of TV. There were many types of slot machines set up near the entrance and further down the back there were table after table of card and dice games. I walked around the whole area once, just to take in the layout and what kind of people were there.

And then I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to go get us a human using glamour. Some parts of me objected to this, of course, but I was determined to do this. I was a vampire now, and this is what vampires did. This was something I had to learn in case I ever found myself in a situation where I had to feed and no synthetic blood was available. I didn't see Eric once, but I knew he was there. I could feel him through our bond. I knew he wouldn't let anything bad happen, so I relaxed my shoulders and started scanning the crowd for a meal.

Just as I walked past a few slot machines, I heard two women talking.

"Look at her. It's an outrage they'd let something like that in here."

"She's probably looking to pick up the next guy." There was a giggle. "Types like her always have a dozen children to feed and no man to support them. They'll do anything for five bucks."

I stopped dead in my tracks. They were talking about me, and they clearly thought I was a prostitute. I looked myself over. I was wearing a pink shirt and a denim miniskirt that reached mid thigh. Hardly the attire of a hooker.

I retraced my steps and peeked around the corner of the slot machine sitting at the end of the row. Oh yeah, there they were. Two ladies in their late thirties, one blonde and one brunette, dressed in designer dresses, smelling of expensive skincare products and perfume. They were probably out for a night on the town together while their husbands were busy screwing their secretaries in their second homes.

Hey, if they could be prejudiced about me, I could be prejudiced about them.

I observed them for a few moments, and surprisingly this gave me a little thrill. I'd seen plenty of predators stalk prey on the plains of Africa, and that's how I imagined myself for a brief moment: as a lioness observing two dainty zebras who were socializing at the local watering hole and had no clue a hungry predator was watching them from just a few feet away.

The moment I realized what I was thinking, I reeled my vampire instincts back in. I knew I had to learn this, but I was not comfortable with any pleasure I might get from it.

I squared my shoulders and sauntered up to the women. "Good evening," I said in my most pleasant voice.

Ms Blonde looked me over with obvious distaste. "Excuse me," she said. "We're busy."

I stared in her eyes and pushed my power, my will into her mind, just like I'd do if I were using magical mind control on someone. I captured her mind at once, and for a brief moment I was shocked at how easy this was.

Ms Brunette seemed to realize something was wrong when Ms Blonde's face went slack and she just stared at me. Ms Brunette looked around, probably to find a security guard, but instantly Eric stood by my side and captured Ms Brunette's gaze with his own.

"Come with us," I said to Ms Blonde, just as Eric gave a similar command to Ms Brunette.

And so we walked across the casino floor towards the door that led to the hotel, Eric and I holding hands, and Ms Blonde and Ms Brunette following obediently behind.

"Interesting choice," Eric said once we stood inside the elevator.

"They thought I was a hooker," I whispered, glancing at the two ladies, but they gave no indication they even heard me.

Eric chuckled and got out first when we reached the top floor of the hotel. His suite was situated at the very end of the wide hallway. Eric produced a key card from his pocket, and I briefly wondered where he'd gotten that (surely he didn't walk around with it in his pocket all the time?), but then I saw the suite and my mind was instantly occupied with taking in the lush carpet, the classic furniture, and the flowers set out on various tables throughout the room.

"Wow," I said, and looked at Eric. He'd closed the door behind our two guests. "Do you stay here often?"

Eric shrugged. "I use it occasionally to feed," he said, just as I spotted a luxurious four-poster bed in the adjacent bedroom. Okay, not going to think about Eric bringing women here for a feed and a fuck.

I shook myself and looked at our guests.

"We should drink from their wrists," Eric said, and grabbed Ms Brunette's arm and tugged her towards the couch. "Those wounds are easier to hide."

I pushed Ms Blonde onto the opposite couch and sat down beside her. I grabbed her wrist, pressed my lips to it and inhaled. My fangs popped down, and I made sure I had a firm lock on Ms Blonde's mind before I sank my fangs into her skin.

She tasted sweet enough, and as I fed it occurred to me that for a vampire, humans did all seem alike, at least when it came to their blood. So far, I'd not tasted any real differences between the humans I'd fed on. Ms Blonde sat quietly, and I drank until I felt a shift in her heartbeat. With the help of a few memories of Eliza lying in pieces I managed to pull back, just as Eric did the same. We stared at each other as we licked the wounds closed, and I felt the stirring of arousal in the lower half of my body. Eric smiled around Ms Brunette's wrist, and pulled back to finish his glamour.

I looked Ms Blonde deep in her eyes. "You won't remember any of this," I said. "You spent the entire evening with your friend downstairs in the casino. You had a good time. And if you're wondering about those marks on your wrist, they're mosquito bites."

Eric gave Ms Brunette similar instructions, and then saw both ladies to the door. I sat back in the couch, licking my lips, feeling bold and daring and slightly mortified. I'd done it. I'd fed like a real vampire: I had hunted a pair of complete strangers and I'd fed on their blood.

Eric sat down beside me and gave me a searing kiss. Then he licked around my mouth, cleaning up the blood that was stuck there.

"You did very well," he whispered, and there was a certain depth to his voice that made it clear we weren't done in this suite yet. I wasn't about to object, as my body responded with heat to Eric's closeness. "Sit down on your hands and knees," Eric said, nodding towards the floor. "Facing away from me."

I gave him a curious smile, but I did as he said. I was up for a little game. I did as he instructed and glanced over my shoulder to see what else he wanted me to do.

"Push up your skirt and lower your panties," Eric said, and he shrugged off his leather jacket.

Oh my. I bit my lip and pushed my skirt up all the way to my waist, and lowered my panties to my knees. A sharp throb of arousal shot through me. I sat there exposed and Eric was staring at me while he undid his pants and pulled himself out. I could smell his arousal, and it was the best scent in the whole world.

"Reach behind yourself and spread yourself for me," Eric said, his voice a low husk. I could hear him stroke himself slowly.

I pulled my butt and folds apart as wide as I could, and rested my cheek against the lush carpet. Just the thought of sitting there offering myself to Eric while he stroked himself made me instantly dripping wet.

I heard Eric sniff the air, and I knew he was testing my arousal. "So beautiful," he whispered, and then I heard him move, and soon his fingertips brushed against my wet folds. He slipped two fingers inside of me and I pushed back with a moan. But he didn't stop there. As he moved his fingers in and out, he brushed this thumb across my puckered opening.

My eyes widened as my body jerked.

"Has anyone ever had to pleasure of fucking you in there?" Eric asked, pressing his thumb against the tight ring of muscle.

"No," I said, unsure if I liked where this was going.

"Hm," Eric said with obvious pleasure. "I will. Fuck you there. But not tonight." He pressed his thumb inside just a little bit, and I couldn't help my body from pulling away from this alien sensation. "Just imagine," Eric said, having obviously sensed my reluctance. "Me fucking you here," and he moved his fingers in and out of my wet channel, "at the same time that Godric fucks you there." And he pressed his thumb hard against my pucker.

I gasped. Yes, I could imagine that, and if I were strictly honest with myself, that wasn't such a bad fantasy. Not bad at all.

Eric chuckled and removed his hands. He pressed his erection against my folds and pushed inside with a loud grunt. I moaned and pressed back until Eric filled me to the hilt, and then I let him take control of my body as he fucked me with hard, sharp thrusts.

I knew what kind of fuck this was. It was not the loving, slow, comforting kind. This was about sating our immediate arousal, and Eric did a very good job of seeing to both our pleasure.

I came with a loud cry, my fingers curling in the lush carpet beneath me, and Eric finished with brutal efficiency, not sparing me one bit as he hammered inside of me.

I loved it. Every second of it.

"No," Eric said, as I wanted to use the bathroom to clean up after he pulled out of me. "I want everyone to smell my seed leaking out of you," he whispered against my lips as he pulled me closer. Another jab of arousal shot through me at his words, and Eric chuckled before he kissed me for a long time.

Eventually, we pulled apart and straightened our clothing. We walked back to the car hand in hand, all our desires sated for the moment. The drive back to Fangtasia took only 10 minutes, and Eric spent it complementing me on my powerful glamour. I couldn't stop smiling until we reached Fangtasia.

We went to his office first, as Eric had to go through his mail and check for messages. Pam joined us to ask about Jessica, and Eric was about to launch into the tale of Turid vs. Bill (much to my embarrassment), when the phone rang.

"Fangtasia," Pam answered in a bored voice. "Yes. One moment."

Eric held out his hand automatically to accept the phone, but Pam gave him a dazzling smile and held the phone out to me.

"It's for you," she said, unnecessarily.

Eric quirked an eyebrow as I accepted the phone. Who the hell would be calling me here? Everyone who knew me had my cell phone number.

"Hello?" I said, a little cautiously.

"Turid? This is Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse."

"Hello, Sookie," I said, utterly baffled as to why Sookie would be calling me, especially after I'd verbally beheaded her boyfriend earlier.

"Look," Sookie said with a sigh. "Can we maybe...can we talk sometime?"

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**A/N: I've got a busy couple of days ahead, so I may not be able to post the next chapter as quickly as I've been updating for the past week. But I'll do my very best to get it out as soon as I can. Thanks for reading, everyone! Let me know what you think.**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Sure we can talk," I said, perching myself on the edge of Eric's desk. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Just some vampire stuff," Sookie said. She sounded rather resigned.

"You could come to Fangtasia tomorrow evening," I suggested.

"No!" Sookie cried, much to my surprise. Eric laughed quietly, and Pam rolled her eyes. "If it's not too much trouble, could you come here?" Sookie asked.

"Sure. Tomorrow?"

"Okay. I've got to work tomorrow evening. At Merlotte's. But you can come there and I'll find some time to talk to you."

"I'll be there," I said.

"Er..." I could hear Sookie swallow. "It's just...I only want to talk to you, if you understand what I mean."

I grinned. "Right. You don't want Eric to come along," I said, and at once Eric pouted. I kicked him softly against his shin.

"Yeah," Sookie said with obvious relief in her voice. "It that's not too much of a problem."

"It isn't. I'm sure he'll allow me out of his sight for a few hours," I said, meanwhile gauging Eric's response. Eric merely looked bemused, so I took that as agreement.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Sookie said. "Bye."

"Bye." And I hung up the phone and gave Eric a quizzical look. "She wants to talk about vampire stuff."

"Interesting," Eric said, and then Pam demanded to know what had happened at Bill's, and Eric spent the next 20 minutes telling her in great detail while I tried not to die from embarrassment.

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Eric let me rest in the bed that day, so when I came to the next evening I was surrounded by soft sheets instead of cold dirt. I much preferred this, obviously, and was already dreading my next rest in the ground, though I knew it was coming. Eric took his training very seriously.

"I'm in here," Eric called from his office, and I took that to mean he wanted me to join him. I walked into his office, and as expected, Eric sat behind his desk sorting through a pile of mail.

"Hand me that letter opener, will you?" Eric asked, gesturing at a shiny metal letter opener lying on a file cabinet near the door.

I grabbed the letter opener, but the moment my fingers curled around the metal my whole body dropped to the floor as though someone had just zapped me with a stun gun. My flesh burned and pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before shot through my entire body. I shrieked, dropped the letter opener and at once Eric was there. He took me in his arms and moved my head towards his throat.

"Now you know what silver feels like to a vampire," he whispered. "Drink from me, my child."

I inhaled Eric's scent and my fangs popped out, even though my body still trembled. I bit him and moaned when his blood coated my tongue. I drank deeply, as deeply as I could and slowly but surely the pain ebbed away.

Eric gently dislodged me from his throat. "Look," he said, as he showed me my own hand. "It's healing now."

And he was right. The burnt flesh knitted together at incredible speed. I watched in fascination, until I realized Eric had done this on purpose. I glared at him, trying to pull my freshly healed hand from his grip.

"I regret that I had to cause you pain," Eric said, still holding me tight.

"You could have warned me," I grumbled, giving up my struggle. Eric was too strong for me. If he wanted to hold me, there was nothing I could do about it.

"No," Eric said, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "If I had warned you, you would have prepared yourself for the pain, and you had to feel the burn of silver as though someone had suddenly attacked you."

"Right," I said disbelievingly.

Eric sighed. "The burn of silver is one of our greatest weaknesses. Even the mightiest of warriors can be brought down with just a few ropes of silver. You do understand this now, don't you?"

I nodded, still feeling a bit miffed but understanding the point Eric was trying to make. "I didn't realize it would effect my whole body like that," I said with a frown. "I mean, I knew silver would burn a vampire, but not like that. It almost felt like being zapped by electricity."

"Exactly," Eric said, and looked at me with a proud smile. "From here on out, you will touch silver every day."

"What?" I squeaked.

"The more you touch it, the more accustomed you become to the burn of silver, and the better chance you'll have during a sudden attack."

I grumbled something unintelligently, and then glared at Eric with suspicion. "Did Godric make you touch silver as well? Every day?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow, as though to say 'what do you think'.

"He did, didn't he," I pressed, and Eric nodded.

"For the first year, he made me hold a silver necklace every day."

"Did it help?" I asked quietly.

Eric grinned and finally let me go to get up. "I'm still around after 1000 years and numerous attacks. Draw your own conclusions from that." He offered me his hand and I let him help me to my feet. I felt fine now. Drinking my maker's blood had certainly helped the healing process.

"There are some presents waiting for you in the living room upstairs," Eric said with a devious smile.

I instantly perked up. "My new clothes?" Eric sure did love rush deliveries.

Eric nodded and gave me a gentle shove towards the door of his office. "Have fun unpacking."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I zipped upstairs using vampire speed and all but bounced with excitement when I saw the many bags and boxes waiting for me in the living room. I piled everything up in my arms and made my way back to the bedroom downstairs, careful not to drop anything. I dumped my prizes on the bed, and set to unpacking all the dresses and skirts and tight pants. I tried them on one by one, admiring myself in the floor length mirror in the walk-in closet as I did so.

Eric joined me after a while and instantly located the box of lingerie. He sorted through it, looking like a kid in a candy store. When I'd popped the last of my new dresses on a hanger and safely tucked it away in the closet, Eric held out a bundle of lacy things for me.

"Put this on," he said. I could tell Eric was looking forward to seeing me in this particular lingerie; certain parts of him were hard with anticipation.

I gave him a sly smile as I accepted the bundle and made my way to the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind me. I inspected the lingerie set Eric had selected for me.

Oh my.

Oh my, oh my.

There were black stockings and garters. The panties and bra were made of black lace with a blood red trim. But that wasn't what made them so special. The panties were crotchless, a slit running the entire length for easy access, and the bra didn't cover a whole lot; it left my breasts bare from the nipples on up, so only the underside was supported while my nipples peeked out, surrounded by soft lace.

I carefully put everything on and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't think I'd ever looked or felt this sexy before, and my body throbbed with arousal as I slid a hand between my legs to inspect the outline of the panties. Oh yeah, I was going to enjoy wearing these as often as I could.

I opened the door, but didn't show myself. Instead, I hid behind the wall and stuck one leg out in the doorway and curved it, showing off my new stockings as best I could.

I heard Eric chuckle. But that's not all I heard. Eric was touching himself, as the soft sounds of flesh on flesh were telling me. I leaned forward a little, showing him more of my new stockings and garter. Eric's hand moved a little faster, I heard. And finally, I stepped out into the doorway and sauntered inside the bedroom, my arms crossed over my chest to cover my mostly bare breasts.

Eric stared at me from the bed, his hand halting mid-stroke. His fangs were out and his eyes narrowed. "Lower your arms," he whispered, and ever so slowly I slid my arms down, exposing my breasts resting in their new cushion of lace.

Eric pounced. Before I knew what happened, Eric had me pressed up against the wall and he kneeled in front of me. His hands cupped my breasts and pinched me nipples over and over again, and his face pressed against my panties, his tongue dipping between the lacy slit to lick my swollen clit.

I cried out, bucking my hips forward, and for once Eric didn't tease me, but licked and sucked at my sex, his hands never ceasing working my breasts. When I came, which was all too soon, Eric rose to his feet, lifted me up and as I hooked my legs around his waist, he thrust inside me.

"From now on," Eric said between sharp thrusts. "You will wear lingerie in this house." He lowered his head to my breasts and bit gently at a nipple. "Every second you are here."

I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held him close as Eric pounded inside me. I found my release again, crying out against Eric's hair as Eric kept mouthing at my breasts. He sped up his thrusts and sank his fangs inside my flesh just above a nipple, licking up my blood as he came with a shudder.

He held me for a few moments, and then gently put me down on my feet as he slipped out of me. Releasing a contented sigh, he looked down at my breasts. "I didn't think they could ever look better than they already did," he said, and pressed a kiss first to one nipple, and then the other. "But I've been proven wrong."

I giggled, immensely pleased with Eric's response to my new look.

"Don't move," Eric said, and he zipped out of the bedroom, only to return moments later with his phone. I leaned against the wall, wondering who he was calling, until I realized he wasn't calling anyone.

He was taking my picture!

By the time I sprang away from the wall, it was already too late. "Eric, no!" I shrieked, making a grab for his phone. But Eric just held it over his head while his thumb danced over the keys.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, jumping a little to make another grab for the phone. It was useless. I was pretty tall for a woman, but Eric was also pretty tall for a man, so I stood no chance.

"Sending it to a friend," Eric said with a wicked grin. "There. It's done."

I stared at him, tempted beyond belief to kick him in his family jewels.

Eric's phone beeped, and Eric opened the text message instantly. "Godric says he wishes he were here. Very badly."

I buried my face in my hands. "Dammit, Eric."

Eric laughed all the way back to his office. I stomped after him, but then my phone rang, so I had to put my righteous anger on the backburner.

"I see you and Eric have come to an agreement as to what clothes you should wear," Godric said the moment I answered my phone.

I groaned, and Godric burst out in laughter. "I take it the picture was made without your consent?"

"You've got that right," I said, and then I couldn't hold back a giggle.

"I'm making it my background on my laptop," Godric said, and Eric, who'd been standing in the doorway, listening to my phone call, said, "Good idea!" And he disappeared inside his office again.

"No! Wait!" I yelled, while Godric laughed uncontrollably in my ear. "Argh! You stupid men!"

It was no use arguing, though. Before my conversation with Godric was over, I was now the background on both their laptops and their phones. I just gave up, and chatted with Godric for a few more moments before I hung up and strolled into Eric's office to get some blood.

Eric stared at me with a serene smile, though his eyes roamed over my body. I leaned against the door, sipped my blood and said, "Well, I'd better get dressed. I'm meeting with Sookie tonight."

"You'll come to Fangtasia first," Eric said, his expression becoming more serious. "You'll feed properly before going to Bon Temps."

I opened my mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. Making sure my stomach was full of the good stuff was probably not a bad idea. It would certainly help to keep my new instincts in check. After we showered, I put on a less naughty set of lingerie, much to Eric's disappointment. But he stopped pestering me when I promised him I'd wear the naughty stuff for him again later that night. I selected a dress from my new collection; a red empire dress that hung to my mid-thighs.

It looked sexy as hell, especially with my red heels, but also classy, which was exactly the look I was going for. Eric made several appreciative sounds as I applied my make-up and brushed my hair. He helped me clasp the ruby and diamond necklace Godric had given me behind my neck, and then we were ready to go.

At Fangtasia, Eric and I fed on a couple of female fangbangers that we glamoured. It was a quick, efficient affair, and after we'd sent them on their way and settled in our chairs on the stage, I looked at Eric expectantly. I figured he'd drive me back home now, so I could get my little Toyota and drive to Bon Temps. But Eric made no move to get up from his chair on the stage.

"Eric," I said, with my sweetest smile. "I have to get going now."

Eric reached inside his pants, pulled out the keys to his Corvette, and held them out to me.

I gaped at him. "You're letting me drive the Vette?"

"Would you rather walk?" Eric asked, and made as if to put the keys back in his pocket but I snatched them out of his hand at once. "One scratch, and you'll be punished," he said as he narrowed his eyes in a promise of pleasure that might be bordering on pain.

"I'll take really good care of it," I said, and pressed a long kiss to his lips.

"See that you do," Eric said, and smacked my butt as I hopped off the stage. I gave Pam a little wave, while Pam gave me a hungry look in return. It seemed Pam appreciated my new dress as well.

Once seated inside Eric's precious Corvette, I adjusted the chair, and punched in my destination into the fancy GPS system. Then I fiddled with the radio until I found a decent station, and finally, I drove out of the parking lot with great care.

For the first couple of miles, I drove slowly. So slowly, that someone behind me in a little Honda hammered on the horn to tell me to get moving. With a nervous sigh, I pressed my foot down a little further, and once I made it out of Shreveport, I felt confident enough to really let the Corvette go.

My goodness, but this was an _awesome_ car.

I sang along loudly with Tina Turner, proclaiming it was simply the best, better than all the rest. And it was. Eric's Corvette was the finest car I'd ever driven, no doubt. I didn't break as many speed limits as Eric though, so it took me almost an hour to get to Merlotte's bar and grill.

The parking lot was filled with pick-up trucks and rusty cars, and the gravel crunched beneath my heels as I walked towards the door. I really stood out in this kind of setting, vampire or not. The car and the dress were enough to set me miles apart from anyone else here. I pushed the door open and strolled inside, taking in the interior. It looked cosy enough, and the place was packed with working men and families, and everything smelled like grease and beer and cigarette smoke.

As I walked towards the bar, I spotted Sookie carrying a tray full of beer towards a table with rancorous men. I gave her a little wave, and she offered me a bright smile in return.

The guy behind the bar was rather cute, in a gruff sort of way. He was also a shifter. I could tell that much from his aura. And once I inhaled, I knew what he shifted into most of the time; he smelled like a wet dog. The guy gave me an appreciative grin, until he inhaled, and then he scowled. I guess he didn't like vampires much. I tried not to let that influence my good mood, and I sat down at the bar and gave him a smile.

"Yes?" he asked, wiping his towel vigorously across a beer mug.

"I'd like a True Blood, please," I said, and pulled my wallet from my purse. "AB-negative, if you have it."

"We don't," he said and glared at me as though it was a crime against humanity for me to ask for my favourite flavour of blood.

"Then I'll take whatever you've got, thanks." I put one of the twenty dollar bills on the counter that Eric had given me earlier (seeing as I still hadn't had a chance to find a bank to get some cash).

The guy got a bottle of O-positive from the fridge and put it down in front of me. Cold. I stared at it as he grabbed my money. When he slammed my change on the bar, I looked up at him. "Er...it's supposed to be warm."

"Take it or leave it," he snapped, and narrowed his eyes at me as though daring me to argue with him.

I was about to decide to just let it go when Sookie popped behind the bar. "Sam!" she scolded, and the guy's scowl changed at once into a goofy smile. "You know damn well it's supposed to be warm." And with that Sookie snatched my bottle up and plopped it into the microwave. "This is my friend, Turid," she said, with a nod to me. "Turid, this rude man is Sam Merlotte, my boss."

"Hi," I said with a little wave.

Sam scowled at me, but I smiled brightly in return.

"Here you go," Sookie said, offering me the warmed bottle. I raised it at her in thanks and took a sip. "It's real busy now," Sookie said, gesturing at the crowd. "But I'll make some time as soon as I can."

"No problem," I assured her. "I don't mind waiting." And I didn't. This was the first time I was out on my own since I'd been turned, and I enjoyed the time away from Eric. Not that I minded being with Eric so much, but it was nice to just sit and think and look at the people around me going about their business.

After a while, a young woman joined Sam behind the bar. She had chocolate skin and long hair that was braided in tiny braids. And she glared at me.

"You a vampire?" she asked.

Wow, people really were direct around here. "Yep," I said, and raised my bottle of blood at her.

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I'm here to talk to Sookie," I said slowly.

The girl put both her hands on the bar and leaned towards me. "What the hell you want with Sookie?"

I blinked. "You should ask her, since she invited me here."

That pulled her up short, and she went about her business, shooting me occasional glares. I ignored her, and just quietly observed the humans. Maybe five minutes after that two men strolled inside, and one of them spotted me at once. He was tall and blonde and not entirely unattractive, and he was most certainly interested in me. I could tell because he sauntered up to me and leaned against the bar beside me as he took in my body from head to toe.

"I haven't seen you here before," he said with an easy smile.

"Probably because I've never been here before," I replied with a grin.

He shuffled a little closer, his gaze landing on my cleavage. "I'm Jason Stackhouse."

Ah. This had to be Sookie's brother. There was some resemblance, too much for him to be a cousin.

"Hi, I'm Turid," I said, amused at his obvious flirtation

"Now that's a fancy name," Jason said, shuffling a little closer still.

"I'm Hoyt," the other guy said, and I gave him a smile as well. He kept a respectful distance and ordered a couple of beers.

"Jason Stackhouse, what the hell you doing?" the girl behind the bar demanded.

"Oh, hey, Tara," Jason said, barely glancing at the girl. His gaze was still glued to my cleavage.

"Can't you tell she's a vampire?" Tara said, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. "I knew you were dumb as shit, but this is stupid, Jason, even for you."

Jason drew back at once, and I reached for my bottle of blood and swallowed the last of it down. "You a vampire?" he asked in shock.

"Obviously," I said, far too amused by his response to hold back a grin.

"Would you like another bottle of that?" Hoyt asked politely, and I looked up at him in surprise.

"Sure," I said, and put my empty bottle down. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Hoyt said with a genuine smile, while Jason was looking me over as though he wasn't sure whether to fuck me or stake me. Tara was a little too rough with the microwave, but at least she warmed the blood. She offered me the bottle with a huff, and then got the guys their beer.

"Jason," Sookie said, as she joined us.

"Hey, sis," Jason said and sipped his bottle of beer.

"She's got a boyfriend," Sookie said with a nod to me. "And he's a mean old vampire, just so you know."

I snorted into my bottle and hoped I wasn't getting blood all over my face.

"Really?" Jason asked. He was back to staring at my cleavage.

"Afraid so," I said, licking my lips delicately to get rid off the blood.

"That's too bad," Hoyt said with a disappointed sigh. "You're real pretty."

"Thank you," I said politely. It seemed that Hoyt was the only person in the bar, aside from Sookie perhaps, who didn't mind me being a vampire. I liked him instantly. Sookie took off to see to some people who were calling her over, just as my phone beeped.

I pulled it out of my purse and saw I had a text message from Eric:

_How is the talk going?_

I typed back, making sure Jason and Hoyt couldn't see the screen:

_No talk yet. Just a bunch of cranky rednecks who don't like vampires._

Thirty seconds later I got a reply from Eric:

_Do you need me to come over?_

Grinning, I typed my reply:

_Nah. I'm good. Talking to Sookie's brother and sipping blood. Not his, btw._

Eric responded at once:

_K. How's my car?_

Now I giggled as I typed away at my phone:

_Still in one piece. Also, wickedly awesome. _

I could practically hear Eric chuckle as I got his reply:

_I knew that. Call me if you need me._

I smiled as my chest warmed. Eric was worried about me. I liked it. I sent him one more reply:

_Will do. See you soon. _

And then I tucked my phone away when no more messages followed.

"So is that Corvette out there yours?" Hoyt asked with obvious admiration.

"It's Eric's."

"Your boyfriend," Jason said, his voice oddly flat.

I nodded. I contemplated telling them Eric was my maker, but realized that might make things too complicated. Boyfriend would do for now.

"How old are you, if you don't mind me asking?" Hoyt asked with a nervous smile.

"Of course not. I'm twenty-one."

"Oh. So you're not a real old vampire," Hoyt said, looking at me with renewed interest.

"Nope. Still brand new."

"Why would you want to be a vampire," Jason said, leaning against the bar and giving me a dubious look.

Oh boy. How to explain that without giving away things they had no business knowing. "There was an accident," I said softly. "I was dying, and Eric found me and saved me. I'm just happy to still be around, albeit in a different way."

Jason snapped his mouth shut, obviously not expecting that kind of answer. Hoyt nodded in agreement, though. "That was real nice of your boyfriend, to save you."

Both Sam and Tara had been listening to our conversation, and their scowls lessened somewhat after hearing my explanation. They still didn't look happy with my presence, but at least the palatable hatred was gone. It was enough to cheer me up a bit.

I smiled at Hoyt. "Yeah, it was nice of him." And I sipped my blood while Jason and Hoyt drank their beers. When our bottles were empty, I ordered another round for us, and they told me about their jobs on the road crew and how their best friend had turned out to be a serial killer (and now I knew who had beaten the crap out of Sookie) who hated fangbangers. It was an interesting conversation, and Jason seemed to warm up to me enough to continue with his flirtations, which was fine by me. I much preferred flirting over obvious disgust.

"I'm real sorry to keep you waiting," Sookie said as she joined us again. "I'm off in half an hour. Maybe we can talk then?"

"Sure," I said, waving her worries away. "I don't mind waiting. I'm enjoying myself."

And I was enjoying myself. Of course, that changed the moment Bill and Jessica walked in.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

**A/N: I know I'm cruel, leaving it here. I'll try my very best, though, to get the next chapter out tomorrow. Also a reminder that the whole FOTS storyline is different than in the TV show: Steve Newlin has been arrested at this point, and the whole FOTS church is in shambles, so Jason will not be joining them, hence his, albeit reluctant, flirting with Turid. Thanks for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think. All your reviews are always much appreciated!**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

I instantly wanted to sink through the floor, and vaguely wondered if there was a magical spell to facilitate this process. But sadly, if such a spell existed, I'd never heard of it. I quickly turned my back to the door and focussed my attention on the bottles of liquor behind the bar, hoping against hope Bill wouldn't spot me.

Of course he did, and he made a beeline for me, Jessica trailing behind. She'd shed her Fangtasia gothic ensemble and looked quite pretty in a simple yellow sundress.

"Bill," I said, with a wavering smile. I turned around once again to face him. "What a surprise."

"What are you doing here?" Bill demanded, his face tight with anger.

I swallowed. "Look, I know I've been rude to you, and I - "

"Did Eric send you?" Bill snarled, leaning closer to me. "To spy on Sookie?"

"Er..." I clasped my hands in my lap. "I just want to apolo - "

"Does he make you do all his dirty work? First, you alienate Sookie from me, and now you're here to keep an eye on her for him."

Okay. I admit it. I was lost. "What the hell are you talking about?" I said, all my intentions of apologizing to him instantly flying out the window.

Bill's eyes narrowed to slits, and for the first time I realized that if Bill wanted to hurt me, there was no one in this bar who could stop him. Sure, he wasn't as old as Eric, but he had plenty of years on little old me, and he could probably bend me double and tie a knot in me before I could even pronounce a defensive spell.

"You leave now," Bill said, his face inches from mine. "And you tell Eric Sookie's mine."

"Hey now," Jason said, pushing his arm between us. My goodness, Tara had been right. Jason really was stupid, if he thought it a good idea to try to interfere between two pissed off vampires. "You don't get to tell her what to do, Compton. If this girl wants to have a drink here, she can, and there ain't nothing you can do about it."

Well, at least Jason's heart was in the right place, even though his brain obviously wasn't.

"This is not any of your business," Bill said in a restrained growl. Jason didn't back down though, bless him and his death wish.

"It may not be Jason's business, but it sure is mine," Sookie said, and I was elated she had joined the conversation. "Seeing as how I invited Turid here tonight."

Bill drew back in obvious confusion, and I couldn't stop a very happy grin from spreading across my face.

"Sookie," Bill said, and it almost sounded like an accusation. "Why?"

Crossing her arms, Sookie glared at Bill. "Because I'm sick and tired of you not telling me a damn thing about vampires. And Turid is the only other vampire I know that I'm comfortable talking to, that's why."

"But," Bill said, blinking his eyes rapidly. "She works for _Eric_. She will report to him. She will -"

"That's enough," I snapped, my anger rising again. "You should not presume to know what I will do, Mr Compton. If Sookie does not want me to repeat our talk to Eric, I won't. However, what I _will_ repeat to Eric is that one of his underlings is badmouthing his Sheriff."

Bill took a step back, his face becoming stony.

"And just for the record," I said, wanting to get this all over with. "My tirade last night had nothing to do with Eric. That was all me. And I was going to apologize to you for being so rude, but seeing your behaviour tonight, I think I will pass."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Sookie said, "Bill, I told you I'd contact you when I'm ready to talk to you. Now please leave." She sounded positively tired.

"But, Sookie - "

"Please, Bill," Sookie said, and her voice cracked just a little. Bill took a step backwards, and then another until he finally turned around and left out the door. Jessica gave me a quick wave, which I returned, and then hurried after him.

Nobody said anything for some time, until Hoyt looked at me. "Do you know that girl who was with Vampire Bill?"

I smiled at him. "Her name's Jessica. And she's single, for as far as I know."

Hoyt gave the biggest, sappiest grin I'd seen in a long time as he stared at the door.

"Sam," Sookie said, looking at her boss. "Is it okay if I leave now?"

"Sure, chere," Sam said. He'd been following the whole debacle with interest from behind the bar. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can you follow me to my house?" Sookie asked me, and I nodded and slipped off my stool. "I'll meet you out in the parking lot."

I said my goodbyes to Jason and Hoyt, gave a friendly wave to Sam and Tara (which they didn't return) and walked out the bar. I reached Eric's Corvette, and I got in just as my phone beeped. I had another text message from Eric.

_Is everything all right?_

Had my master sensed a disturbance in the force? I smiled to myself, and typed a quick reply.

_Yep. Bill stopped by. We had some words. Sookie told him to leave. Going to Sookie's house now to talk._

A minute later I got a reply.

_Good. Tell me all when you get back._

I left it with that, as I heard Sookie start her car. I got the Corvette fired up, and drove after her little rusty car. It was only a few miles to her home, which was situated across from Bill's, I noticed, and I wondered if that's how they'd met. Lonely country girl gets bachelor vampire neighbour. It almost sounded like a trashy romance novel.

Sookie lived in a modest farmhouse, that perhaps could use with a bit more updating, but it certainly wasn't the worst in housing I'd ever seen.

I parked the Corvette beside Sookie's car around the back of the house, and followed Sookie up the stairs of her back porch. She opened the door and walked inside, and I followed her until I walked into a brick wall. Or so it felt.

"Ow," I said, taking a step back to see what I'd hit.

"I'm so sorry," Sookie said, "Please, come in, Turid."

I started giggling uncontrollably. Of course, I needed an invitation now! Sookie gave me an odd look.

"It's my first time," I said, in between giggles. "In a human house, since..."

Sookie giggled as well, and I tested her doorway with my hand. No more barrier, so I stepped inside. "Thanks," I said, and Sookie waved me over to the kitchen table, so I took a seat.

"Can I get you some blood?" Sookie asked politely. You had to love those Southern manners.

"Sure, thanks."

She heated my blood in the microwave and poured herself a glass of lemonade, and then sat down at the table across from me.

"So," I said, and sipped my blood. "What do you want to know?"

Sookie sighed.

"Look," I said, leaning forward a bit. "I'll make this easy for you. Ask me anything you want, and if I know the answer, I'll give it to you, okay?"

"Did you know?" Sookie asked, and I quirked an eyebrow. "Did you know about Jessica back in Dallas?"

I nodded. "Eric told Godric and me that night you arrived, after we left the nest. I'd overheard Eric and Bill talking about Jessica, so I asked him who she was."

"Okay," Sookie said, clasping her hands around her glass of lemonade. "I thought you might have known. It seemed you were trying to tell me something the next day."

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but -"

"I know. It wasn't your story to tell," Sookie said, and her face hardened. "Bill should have just told me from the start."

"Yeah," I said, because there was nothing else to say to that.

"Do you drink human blood?" Sookie asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Yes," I said, thinking honesty was the best course to take. Especially after Bill had so blatantly lied to her.

"Bill said that Eric would make you," Sookie said, and I rolled my eyes. "He also said there was no need for him to do it, or for Jessica to do it."

"Bullshit," I said, grasping my bottle a little tighter. "Maybe Bill can survive on synthetic blood, but Jessica needs to learn how to feed, just like I'm learning."

Sookie looked nonplussed.

"What if, some time in the future, I get hurt at some point, and there is no synthetic blood available? And I'll need to feed on a human to heal. If I do not know how to feed on a human at that point, I'll likely kill them because of the bloodlust."

Sookie shifted a little in her seat, looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Look, I'm a vampire now. And Jessica's a vampire now. And vampires drink blood. It's not like we can just order a pizza instead."

"I know," Sookie said, and I could tell she was doing her best to understand it all. "Is it really that different? Being a vampire?"

I shrugged. "I'm still me. I still feel like me. But I've got a few new instincts now. Strong instincts. And I need to learn how to control them, or else someone might get hurt."

"That makes sense." Sookie frowned. "I wonder why Bill insists Jessica can make do with True Blood then."

"Because he's trying not to offend you, is my guess."

Sookie glanced up at me in surprise.

I shook my head. "This whole mainstreaming idea is just a ruse, if you ask me. Bill can sit up there in his house, drinking bottled blood, hanging with the humans, but that doesn't change the fact that he's not human. He's a vampire, and he's part of vampire society, and that society has its own rules and regulations. And he's really not doing you any favours by not telling you about them."

"I know," Sookie whispered. "And I don't know what to do anymore."

My heart sank. I felt for Sookie. She obviously was doing her best to accept her boyfriend's nature, but her boyfriend wasn't making it easy on her by keeping her in the dark. "Tell me how you two met," I said, mostly because I'd been curious about that from the start.

So Sookie did. She told me about saving Bill from the drainers, and how they'd come back for her the next night, and how Bill had saved her in return. And she told me about her grandmother, and Bill's talk at some civil war club, and how they'd gone to Fangtasia and she met Eric, and how Eric had made her find a traitor in his bar, and how Bill and she had started dating, and about her grandmother's murder, and how Bill had come for her in broad daylight when the killer had gone after her.

It was a jumbled tale, and it was clear Sookie had wanted to talk about this for a long time, just to get it off her chest. I listened and nodded until Sookie leaned back in her chair.

"Do you love him?" I asked, thinking that mattered the most.

"I believe I do," Sookie said, and then sat up a little straighter. "I know I do. It's just..."

"He lied to you about something big, and now you're wondering if he's lying about other stuff and if you can ever trust him again."

"Yeah," Sookie said, staring at me in wonder.

"Sookie, you're not the first girl who's had a guy lie to her about something big," I said, and shrugged. "I dated this guy in my first year in college. I really liked him, and we dated for a couple of weeks, and then it turned out that his ex-girlfriend wasn't so much an ex as he'd made me believe."

"What did you do?" Sookie asked.

"Kicked him to the curb and cursed him impotent."

Sookie looked at me with eyes as round as saucers.

"It was only temporary. The curse, that is," I said, and added a bit defensively, "Never cheat on a witch."

Sookie giggled and drank the last of her lemonade.

"Look, I can't tell you what you should do about Bill, but I can tell you what I'd do in a similar situation." I inhaled a deep breath. "I'd give him the chance to come clean, and then give him an ultimatum."

"What?" Sookie asked, confused.

"Give him the opportunity to fess up about anything else he might have been lying about, and you then don't get to blame him for it. And once he's had that chance, it's all or nothing. If he then still lies to you, and you catch him doing it, you kick him to the curb. And you let him know about that ultimatum beforehand, of course. It might keep him in check."

"Hm," Sookie said, nodding. "I might do something like that."

"And also remember, Sookie, Bill's an old guy, and you've only known him for a few weeks. How well do you really know him? How eager is he to share every detail of his life with you? That's a good indication to see if he's still lying to you."

"That makes sense." Sookie got up to refill her glass, and I politely declined her offer for another blood. I'd had enough synthetic blood for one night. "So, you and Eric...you see, Bill told me he's not having sex with Jessica, but he also said for some vampires, the maker and child thing..."

Sookie was looking close to imploding with embarrassment, so I decided to save her. "You mean to ask if Eric and I are having sex?" I asked, and Sookie nodded as she sat down again. "Oh yeah, like rabid bunnies. Our bond is sexual, but that's not always the case. I don't think it's sexual for Bill and Jessica."

"Okay." Sookie wrinkled her nose. "I don't know if anyone has told you, but because you've been so honest with me, I'll be honest with you. Eric...well, he's interested in me."

"Really?" I asked innocently, barely able to contain my laughter.

"Oh yeah. He asked Bill if he was attached to me that first night at Fangtasia."

"Right. And after that?" I said, and quickly bit my lip to stop from giggling.

Sookie blinked. "Well, he wanted me to look for the person who was stealing his money."

"Of course he did. You're a telepath. And after that?"

"Then there was Dallas."

"And Godric paid you for your services, right?" I asked, hoping Sookie would come to her own conclusions soon.

"Yes, but Bill said - "

"Ah, Bill said." I chuckled. "Bill, your possessive boyfriend who'd get his panties in a twist if your pastor so much as looked at you. That Bill?'"

Sookie blushed and waved her hand, as if to ward of my words.

"Look, I know Eric was interested in you at first. He told me so," I said, and Sookie snapped her gaze up at me in surprise. "You're a pretty girl, and you're a telepath. Show me a vampire who wouldn't be interested in you. But since then Eric has moved on to other things."

"What things?" Sookie asked, and I considered pounding my head against the table. Instead, I waved at her. "Oh, oooh, of course. So Eric's not interested in me anymore?"

"Not as far as I know," I said with a reassuring smile.

Sookie sagged in her chair in obvious relief. "Thank God."

I was baffled how intimidated by Eric Sookie seemed to be. Sure, Eric was no fluffy bunny, but as far as vampires went, he wasn't that bad. I'd certainly met worse. And that made me think of Andre, and Andre's hints about Sookie.

I chose my words with care as I spoke next. "I know you think Eric is evil incarnate," I said, and Sookie looked like she might object, but I gestured at her to let me finish. "Yet as far as vampires go, Eric's not that bad. There are far worse vampires out there, trust me on that one. And some of those vampires know about you and your little gift."

"Who?" Sookie demanded, sitting upright in her chair.

So I told her about Andre and the Queen. I left out the nasty details of Andre's visit, and just told her that Andre and thus the Queen had obviously heard about her and might demand her services through Bill, or even through Eric.

"But how would they know about me?" Sookie asked, sounding a little desperate.

"Maybe Bill told someone at court, or maybe Eric did. I'm not sure. I don't know enough about the politics in this state yet."

"See, these are the things Bill should be telling me," Sookie said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Ask him about it." At that moment my phone beeped, and I took it out to see another text message from Eric:

_It's getting late. Come home._

I smiled as my insides turned to jelly. _Come home. _I really liked the sound of that.

"Is it from Eric?" Sookie asked curiously.

"Yep. He's reminding me it's getting late and I should come home." Heck, I even liked saying it.

"Oh, of course. You still have to drive all the way back." Sookie got up and I followed suit. "I appreciate you talking to me, Turid."

"No problem. Let me give you my phone number, in case you have more questions."

We exchanged phone numbers and then Sookie saw me to the back door.

"Good luck with Bill," I told her sincerely.

"I'm going to take some time to think things over and then I'll talk to him," Sookie said, holding the door open for me.

"Sounds like a plan. See you around."

And with a few waves we said our final goodbyes. I got the Corvette roaring, and then I quickly sent a text message to Eric:

_On my way. _

I drove down Sookie's driveway and onto the dark country road. My phone beeped again, but this time it wasn't a text message.

Eric had sent me a picture. Of his erection. It was too big to fit the screen of my phone. I giggled as I stared at it and slowed the car down to a stop. Glancing around, I made sure no one was around, and then I pushed the top of my dress down together with my bra. My breasts looked a bit squashed this way, but I quickly took a picture of them with my phone before I put my clothes to rights. I checked the picture, and even though it looked a bit grainy (it was rather dark inside the car), I knew Eric would get the idea, so I sent it to him.

Twenty seconds later, I got a reply from Eric. It was one word:

_Hurry. _

I smiled all the way to Shreveport, and even broke a few more speed limits. I made it to Eric's house (home!) without any incidents, and once I had the car parked safely in the garage, I hurried inside the house. I found Eric lying naked on bed, obviously waiting for me.

But instead of pouncing on him, as I might have done any other time, I just stared.

Eric gave me a sheepish smile in return.

"Oh my goodness," I finally managed to say. "What did you do?"

"You don't like it?" Eric asked with an expectant look.

I stared some more. "But what happened?" I asked again, because my brain just couldn't get past that issue.

"Pam cut my hair," Eric said, running a hand over his newly trimmed hair.

"Pam? But why did she cut it all off?" I asked, flabbergasted. Eric's hair was short! He'd had wonderful shoulder length hair, and I'd always loved to bury my fingers in it during our most intimate moments. And now it was short!

Eric shrugged. "She wasn't supposed to take it all off, but there was an incident, and I got some blood in my hair and it got mixed with the stuff for the highlights, and Pam had to take off a little more than we had planned."

I still stared at him. "What incident? And what blood? We fed before I left."

"We...interrogated some of our prisoners tonight."

I immediately held up my hand. This was a subject Eric and I had yet to discuss, the fact that he kept prisoners in his frigging basement, but I was in no mood to sort through it at this time.

"Okay. I get it. You got a haircut and it got a little out of control, vampire-style."

"You don't like it?" Eric asked, sounding a bit unsure. I sat down at the edge of the bed and looked at him.

"I need to get used to it," I said, and I smiled. "But it's not bad. Just different. You look younger, I think."

Eric let out a bark of laughter. "For someone as old as me, that sounds like music to my ears." And then he held a hand out to me. I accepted it and crawled up the bed until I was lying beside him. I carefully touched his hair. Pam had put some sort of hair gel in it; it felt a bit crunchy.

"How about we take a bath and you can tell me all about tonight," Eric suggested, and gave me a long kiss.

"That sounds really good," I said, and at once gave him a long kiss in return. We smiled and licked our lips, and then Eric got up from the bed and drew the bath while I undressed.

Once we were settled in the hot water, me leaning back against his chest, I told him what happened at Merlotte's, sparing no detail. Eric snorted as I recounted Bill's rather paranoid accusations.

"Bill's completely obsessed with his human. It clouds his judgement."

I hummed my agreement with that.

"And Sookie? What did she want to talk about?"

I glanced up at Eric. "Honestly? It was more relationship stuff than vampire stuff, although in her case the two do mix, of course. This is her first boyfriend and now she's caught him in this huge lie and she's having trust issues. Rightly so."

"I knew she was innocent when I first met her," Eric said absently. "She still smelled like a virgin, but Bill has since taken care of that."

"Oh!" I said, sitting up a little. "Did you know Bill was attacked by drainers right outside Merlotte's in the parking lot?"

"No," Eric said with a frown. "When was this?"

"The first night they met," I said, wondering why the hell Bill hadn't informed his Sheriff there had been two drainers in the area. "Sookie saved Bill from those drainers, and the next night those drainers came back and kicked Sookie so badly she was dying. It was lucky she'd agreed to meet with Bill at that time, so he saved her. Gave her his blood."

Eric stared laughing, but it wasn't a friendly sound. I looked at him in utter confusion.

"What?" I asked, poking Eric in his ribs. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, my darling child, you are a smart girl. Yet you cannot see what really happened?" Eric held me a little tighter. "Look at this situation through the eyes of a vampire. A vampire who's just met a human he's interested in, and he wants to form a connection with her as soon as possible."

I slowly started connecting the dots in my head. "No," I gasped. "You think Bill just stood by and watched as those drainers kicked the crap out of Sookie?"

"Of course," Eric said with a happy smile. "So he had an excuse to offer her his blood, and she was in no position to refuse."

"But that's really..." I couldn't even find a proper word to describe it. Disgusting? Horrendous? Despicable? Any of them would do.

Eric shrugged against me. This just didn't seem to upset him in the slightest. "Turid, if a vampire wants to make a serious claim on a human it is key to get the vampire's blood inside the human as soon as possible, so a connection is formed."

"I get that," I snapped, and then recoiled from the harshness of my own words. "But you could also just offer. Godric offered me his blood, and he spent a long time explaining the effects it would have. And then I decided to do it. There was no scheming or lying involved."

"That is the proper way to do it," Eric easily agreed. "Yet that is not how most vampires would do it." He looked at me and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "It's just the way of things."

"The darker side of vampire life," I said quietly, mostly to myself.

"If that's how you want to think of it," Eric said, and he started playing with my breasts, circling his fingertips around my nipples. "But to most of us, it's just part of our existence. Now, tell me, did you have any issues with your instincts tonight? Did your bloodlust rise at any time?"

"Nope. No issues. I had everything under control, even when Bill got all hostile."

"I sensed your distress for a moment," Eric said, and squeezed my breasts a little harder. It was becoming a distraction. "But it passed quickly, and your text reassured me."

"Hm," I said, and reached behind my back to stroke Eric's erection.

I felt Eric smile against my cheek right before he kissed me. "Enough talk. I've had to miss you all evening. We need to make up for that."

And that's exactly what we spent the rest of the night doing.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

I came to in the dirt, alone. Eric had insisted I rest in the ground by myself, and I had reluctantly agreed. It had been such a cold end to an otherwise hot night that started in the bathtub, then moved to the couch in the living room, and finally to the bed. It'd felt so sated and happy that all I'd wanted to do was wait for dawn to come in Eric's arms, but alas, he'd insisted I dig myself a hole in his yard instead.

At least he'd promised to be there for me when I came to.

I listened carefully before I moved, just like Eric had taught me. You did not want to be caught by enemies while you were trying to dig your way out of the ground. It made you far too vulnerable. But I heard nothing save for the normal sounds of night, so I started digging and clawing until I managed to pull myself from the earth.

I glanced around, expecting to see Eric standing nearby, but I didn't see him. "Eric?" I asked hesitantly.

No reply.

I sniffed the air. I couldn't smell him. Then I searched for our bond, the comfortable hum in the back of my mind that told me of my maker's connection to me.

It was oddly quiet.

"Eric?" I asked, a bit more forcefully, yet still no reply came.

He was probably just sitting behind his computer, ordering more lingerie, I told myself sternly as I hurried across the lawn back to the house. Inside, I immediately called out to him, but there was no sign of him.

Now I started to feel the first stirrings of panic.

"ERIC!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. If he was anywhere in the house, he would have heard that.

Nothing.

The sun had only just set, right before I'd crawled out of the ground. If he'd needed to be somewhere urgently, surely he would have waited the extra minute to inform me, or at the very least he'd left me a note.

No, something was wrong. The weak hum of our bond told me as much. Our bond had always felt strong, the hum secure in my mind. Now, it was only a faint throb.

Something was definitely wrong.

With vampire speed I searched every room in the house. There was no sign of Eric anywhere. His phone was still lying on his desk in his office. And both his cars were still in the garage, as was my little Toyota. There was no sign of a struggle anywhere. The alarm systems had not been tampered with. Eric was just missing.

I sank down on the edge of the bed once those words hit home.

Eric was missing.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

I sat on the bed and stared at the wall. My maker was missing. _My maker _was missing. My world, my everything, was gone.

I scooted up the bed, snatched up Eric's pillow and buried my face in it. His scent surrounded me, and I inhaled and inhaled. My maker. I needed my maker. I wanted my maker. I loved my maker. Slowly, I pulled away from the pillow. Had I really just thought that? Did I love my maker? Did I love Eric?

Well, if the pain and despair I felt at the idea of never seeing Eric again were any indication, then yes, I most certainly did. What would it mean for me if Eric was gone, truly gone?

No more cheeky smiles and wicked grins. No more holding hands where ever we went. No more teasing me into submission. No more whispered reassurances in my ear whenever I was upset. No more heated looks as he took in my body. No more proud compliments if I did something right.

My goodness, but I did love him. Yes, I loved Godric still, but I also loved Eric. I could no longer deny that.

_Godric. _

He'd know what to do.

I crushed my face in Eric's pillow, inhaled once more, and then I threw it to the side. There were bloodstains on it; I'd been crying, apparently. I found my purse and cell phone, and hit speed dial. I paced the bedroom as I waited for Godric to pick up.

But he didn't pick up. It went to his voicemail.

"Godric," I said, my voice tight with desperation. "Eric's missing. I don't know what happened. Please call me. Please."

Of all the times Godric wasn't available to answer his phone...I clicked my phone shut and sighed. I needed to do more. What else could I do? Who else might know where Eric was.

Pam.

Of course. She'd know what to do. But I didn't have Pam's phone number. And then I remembered Eric's phone, so I zipped to his office and punched a few keys on Eric's phone to bring up his contact list.

It asked for a security code. What security code? Since when did Eric protect his phone with a security code? I pressed some random numbers, but it didn't work, and I was becoming more and more frustrated by the second. I slammed the phone down so hard the screen cracked, but I didn't have time to worry.

I rummaged through the desk's drawers until I found a good old-fashioned phone book, and with vampire speed I flipped the pages until I found the phone number for Fangtasia. I used Eric's desk phone to call and it only took a few rings before someone answered.

"Fangtasia, the bar with a bite. How can I help you"?

I didn't recognize the girl's voice, so I figured she was one of the human waitresses. "Is Eric there?" I growled.

"The master does not want us to give out his information to fans," the girls said haughtily.

"Listen, you dumb cow," I snarled, my fangs popping out. "I'm his child and you will tell me what you know of Eric's whereabouts right now or I'm coming down there to rip you limb from limb."

The girl gulped. "He's not here. He should be in later."

"And Pam?"

"She's not here yet, either."

"Tell Pam to call me at Eric's house the second she gets there, understood?"

"Yes," the girl said in a tiny voice, and I slammed the phone down.

Who else could I call? Who else did I know who could help me in this situation? Once again I realized that I really didn't know that many people anymore. Eric and Godric and even Pam, they were the only family I had left.

I lowered my head and tried to fight the despair that was chilling me to the bone. If I lost them, I'd have no one left.

Suddenly, I snapped my head up. By the Goddess, I was a _witch_. I had plenty of power. I did not need anyone's help to find Eric. I could locate him myself.

Disgusted with my foolishness of not thinking about that earlier, I went in search of the things I needed to find Eric. I had plenty of supplies in my duffel bag in the bedroom. I could get some of Eric's hair from his hairbrush. That left a map of Shreveport. Where to find a map of Shreveport?

Ah. I'd seen one just the night before in the glove compartment of Eric's Corvette. I zoomed to the garage, and once I was standing in front of the passenger side of the car, I realized I didn't have a key. I didn't even know where Eric kept his key, aside from in the pocket of his pants. But this was no time to worry about material things. I had a maker to find, and I had to find him quickly, before anyone could harm him. So I grabbed the door handle and pulled with all my strength. The entire door came off with a resounding crack, and I threw it behind me where it slammed against the wall of the garage. I yanked the map from the glove compartment and rushed back inside the house.

Inside the bedroom, I collected the supplies I needed, snatched some hairs from Eric's hairbrush, and then drew a circle with chalk right on the carpet of the bedroom. I sat in its centre, spread out the map of Shreveport in front of me, and started adding the necessary ingredients to one of my little cauldrons. The very last ingredients were the few strands of Eric's hair. I lit a match, and set the ingredients on fire. Once the flames burned brightly, I held my hands out around them and started the chant.

With my eyes closed, I poured all my power in those flames until they died down and the ingredients had burned down to ashes. I poured those ashes out onto the map and watched in anticipation as an invisible wind spread the ashes across the map until they gathered at one specific point.

There!

I'd found Eric's location.

I studied the map closely, looking for roads that I was familiar with and traced them to Eric's location...which was right where I was sitting. Eric was somewhere in his own house. How the hell was that possible? I'd searched the entire house.

I closed my eyes as something dawned on me. What if this was all some sort of test? And then I realized something else. I had looked inside the entire house, yes, but Eric had one specific talent, and that's where I hadn't looked.

I rushed outside and started scanning the sky as I ran around the house.

And there he was, the fucking bastard.

Eric sat on the highest point of the roof. He gave me a little wave when I noticed him. "That was quick!" he yelled, and then he flew down the roof to land right in front of me.

I stared at him.

Eric gave me a shit-eating grin, and at once our bond sprang back to life in my mind with a loud hum. He had cut it off, somehow. He'd purposefully cut off our connection.

"My child," Eric said, reaching out to touch my arm. "You did very - "

I smacked my fist against his shoulder. And then my other fist against his chest. And then I was hitting and punching and snarling and spitting.

"How could you!" I yelled, shoving at him with all my strength. It didn't have much of an impact. Eric just stood there as I pummelled away at him. "How could you mess with our bond like that? How could you make me believe you were gone? I'm willing to put up with a lot of your shit, Eric. I've done a number of fucked up things without complaining. I've sucked your dick in front of that creep, I've agreed to let you burn me with silver every fucking day, I've hunted humans in your stupid casino and goodness knows what else I've done without much protest, but I will not put up with this!"

I stepped away from him, baring my fangs. "You mess with our bond like that again, and I'm packing my bags, whether you like it or not!" And with that, I teleported straight to the bedroom.

I was trembling so violently I had to steady myself with a hand to the wall. All my earlier fear and despair had now gathered inside me as pure rage. How could Eric do that to me? How could he cut off our bond so easily? Our bond was all we had. Who was I to Eric without our bond? Nobody, that's who. Without our bond, I wouldn't even be here. Without our bond, Eric would be chasing after Sookie, and he'd never even look at me twice.

The bond was all we had, and he'd cut it off like it meant nothing to him. And for what? A fucking science experiment?

I smelled Eric standing in the doorway, but I didn't look at him until he cleared his throat.

Eric stood holding a small bunch of purple rhododendron flowers which he'd obviously plucked from the bushes in the back of the yard. Under any other circumstances I might have giggled at the idea of Eric picking me flowers, but I was still far too upset to see the humorous side of this.

"Here," Eric said, holding the flowers out to me as though he were offering me the crown jewels. "I have heard flowers will make a woman forgive a man if he has done something wrong."

I snorted. "Flowers are for when you forget to take out the trash or something. Not for when you purposefully cut off our bond."

"Will you accept them anyway?" Eric said, and took a few steps closer to me, still holding out the flowers. He looked like a boy who knew he'd done something wrong, but who wasn't truly sorry for it.

I snatched the flowers from his hand. It wasn't the flowers' fault Eric was an insensitive prick, after all, and they were rather pretty. I got an empty bottle from the recycling bin in the office, rinsed it out a few times in the bathroom sink and filled it with water. I carefully arranged the flowers inside the bottle and then set it on my nightstand.

"There," I said, crossing my arms. "I've accepted your flowers."

"But you are still upset," Eric said. He'd observed me closely as I took care of the flowers, and now he seemed a bit confused.

"Of course I'm still upset!" I snapped, and I tapped my hand on my chest, right over my heart. "You cut off our bond. You made me believe something had happened to you, or that you'd left me."

And the moment I said it, I knew that's why I was most upset. I hadn't dared think it while Eric was missing, but deep down inside my mind, inside my heart, that had been my biggest fear.

That Eric had left me. That he didn't care about me.

"Would it help you forgive me if I told you this was all Godric's idea?"

My mouth sank open. "What?"

Eric nodded solemnly. "Godric was worried our bond was becoming too strong, too close, and that you depended too much on me. That you would lose your independence. We argued about this, so he suggested I test it, to see what you would do without me." Eric offered me a proud smile. "I'm very pleased you have proven him wrong."

I stared at the floor. "Godric knew about this?" I asked softly. "I called him and he didn't answer his phone."

"Yes. He knew I would test you today."

A whole new flash of rage filled me. How could Godric have done this? Godric had always been my rock, the one guy I could depend on no matter what, and he'd suggested Eric cut off our bond just to see what I would do?

I snatched up my phone and hit speed dial.

Godric answered this time. "My dear - "

"Did you tell Eric to cut off our bond?" I growled into the phone. "Did you tell him to pretend he'd gone missing?"

"Turid," Godric said in his calm, collected voice. "It was a test to see - "

"How could you do that?" I didn't wait for an answer, but shut the phone and threw it on the bed. It rang ten seconds later, but I didn't answer it, so Eric did.

"Yes, she's very upset," Eric said into the phone. "I have tried giving her flowers, but it has not helped." And then he started talking in that language I didn't understand and I stomped into the bathroom. I was still covered in dirt from having slept in the ground, and my face was a bloody mess from the tears I'd shed earlier.

I stepped into the shower and washed myself without much thought. At some point I heard Eric end the call, and I pushed the shower door open and yelled. "Oh, just so you know, I've ripped the door off your precious Corvette, and I don't care how upset that makes you!" I slammed the door shut again. Let him stew on that for a while. I was just about done in the shower when the door opened and Eric stood there in all his naked and hard glory. His gaze swept across my wet body, and then he looked expectantly at my breasts.

I growled and pushed past him out of the shower. "If you think you're getting any after this, you need to think again, mister."

Eric sighed and got in the shower, but he didn't say anything else. I proceeded with the tasks at hand and by the time I slipped into my dress, Eric walked inside the bedroom, all cleaned up.

"You used magic to find me," he said, gesturing at the circle with the map still lying inside it.

I simply nodded and disappeared inside the bathroom to dry my hair. We didn't say anything else as we got ready for another night at Fangtasia. Eric did look at his phone with its cracked screen curiously, but apparently it was still working, because he slipped it inside the pocket of his pants as we made our way to the garage.

"But why?" Eric asked as he stared at his Corvette.

"I needed a map of Shreveport," I said while I examined my fingernails. "And I didn't have a key."

Eric looked from the hole in the car to the door lying a few feet away and back again. "Maybe I should have given you a spare key. I will rectify that later."

I shrugged and strolled towards the SUV. Eric gallantly opened the door for me, but I didn't acknowledge him. I just got in and slammed the door shut again.

"No matter," Eric said, as he climbed in behind the wheel. "I'll have Bobby pick the car up tomorrow and take it to the garage to have it fixed."

I stared out the window as Eric manoeuvred the car out of the garage. My anger had dissipated by now, replaced by an odd sense of misery. It hurt that Eric, and even Godric, could be so callous with my feelings. And for what? To see if I would break down or not if my maker wasn't around?

I chewed on my bottom lip.

I had broken down, sort of. Hadn't I? It had taken me far too long to get my act together.

My goodness!

I ripped open my purse and rummaged around until I found my phone. I hit speed dial and brought it to my ear.

"Godric," I said the second he picked up. "You were right."

Eric snapped his head around and stared at me in shock.

"How so?" Godric asked. He didn't sound upset, I was pleased to note.

"I did panic, when I thought Eric was gone. I mean, I thought to use my magic to find him eventually, but it wasn't my first instinct. More like my fifth instinct."

Godric hummed his agreement, while Eric stared at the road in front of us, a frown darkening his face.

"It should have been my first instinct," I said, needing to understand this myself. "But instead I just sat there and cried and then I called a few people."

"I am very glad you have figured this out," Godric said, and he did sound quite pleased.

"Right," I said, and then felt just a bit miffed. "You couldn't have just told me?"

"No," Godric said simply.

"Why? Because this is the way of the Jedi? The young Padawan must figure things out for themselves?"

Godric was silent for a few seconds, while Eric looked at me in confusion. "I do not know those words," Godric finally said. "But I do think I know what you are saying. Yes, you needed to figure this out for yourself."

I sighed. "This really sucked, Godric. To think Eric was gone...goodness, that hurt."

"Exactly," Godric said, and again he sounded entirely too pleased. "The pain will help you remember this lesson very well."

"All right," I said, because I knew there was no point arguing Godric on this. Once he was convinced of something, there was not much anyone could do. I hesitated for a moment, and then I whispered, "Are we still good?"

"Of course," Godric said, and he sounded genuinely confused. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well, I was a little short with you earlier."

Godric chuckled and the sound of that reassured me. "I understand this was a very upsetting lesson. I am just glad you learned from it. You may be a vampire now, but you must stay true to yourself."

"Yes, Yoda," I said, because I just couldn't resist.

"I will google these words," Godric said seriously, and I couldn't stop myself. I giggled madly.

"You do that. I will talk to you later."

"Goodbye, my dear heart." And with that, we hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hands, relief sweeping through me, ridding me of the misery I'd felt before.

"I cannot believe you would tell Godric he is right even after you had already proven him wrong," Eric said. He sat with his hands curled tightly around the steering wheel, his shoulders tensed up. I guess I had upset my maker by agreeing with his maker.

"Yeah, well," I said and smiled at him. "And I can't believe you actually picked me flowers."

That earned me a chuckle, and Eric relaxed a bit in his seat as he gave me a brilliant smile. "So you do like the flowers?"

"I really appreciate the gesture," I said tactfully. "Even though the timing was a little off."

Eric shook his head in amusement, and we stayed silent for a while, but it was a comfortable silence this time.

"Godric was right, though," I said eventually, because I needed Eric to understand this. "I've been so focused on being a vampire, on being your child, on learning all my lessons, that I've completely forgotten who I already am. I'm a witch. And a powerful one at that. I need to focus on that, too."

"Hm." Eric pursed his lips. It seemed that he was agreeing with me, yet perhaps he didn't want to agree with Godric for some reason. What was this feud between them?

"When did you discuss this with Godric, anyway?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Eric glanced at me with a smile tugging on his lips. "Godric calls me every day before you wake up, to see how you are doing and to discuss your training."

"Huh," I said, astonished. All I knew was that Godric called me once a night and that I sent him letters about my adventures in Shreveport. But apparently, he and Eric had been discussing me. A lot.

"My maker cares a great deal about you," Eric said, and there was a certain edge to his voice that I couldn't place.

I smiled at him. "Eric, I understand the purpose of this lesson now. But please, don't ever close the bond between us again, okay?"

Eric reached for my hand and pressed a kiss to it. "Okay," he whispered, and gave my hand another kiss. He held my hand the rest of the way. It seemed things were back to normal, for which I was very glad.

Once we arrived at Fangtasia, Eric parked around back in the service alley behind the bar. The moment I stepped out of the car, Eric was there, and he pulled me in a tight embrace and kissed me with such passion, I was ready to throw him on the hood of the car and have my wicked way with him. Eric grinned as he pulled back, obviously having smelled my arousal. "Later, my child, you will make up for your refusal of me earlier."

I was already looking forward to it. I gave him another kiss, and stroked my hand through his short hair. It did look good on him, now that I was getting used to it.

Eric opened the mailbox beside the backdoor and got out the mail before we went inside. I wondered why we were going straight to his office, but I got my answer the moment we walked inside.

There was a guy lying on Eric's couch. He smelled as though he'd been living in a sewer for the last couple of weeks, but that was not all I smelled. There was also the scent of fresh blood. The guy had a serious wound on his leg. And oddly enough, he was wearing a metal collar around his neck with a chain attached.

It seemed I had just met one of Eric's prisoners.

Pam and Chow were standing watch, and Chow seemed quite impatient to take a bite out of the buy.

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long," Eric said, as he sorted through his mail. "How's the leg?"

"Shitty," the guy said. "Thanks for asking."

"After all your proclamations about what a model prisoner you were going to be," Eric said, still staring at the letters in his hand. "You had to try to escape."

I looked between Eric and the guy in shock.

"You were going to kill me anyway, right?" the guy said, not looking at anyone.

"Now you'll never know," Eric said. "So what's it going to be, Lafayette? Would you like the leg to kill you, or would you prefer us to do it?"

I shuffled a little closer to Eric. What the hell was going on here?

"I'm gonna go with plan C," Lafayette said, staring up at Eric.

"There's a plan C?" Eric asked.

"Make me a vampire," Lafayette said, and at once my fangs snapped out.

"Oh hell no!" I snarled. Eric was _my_ maker. I was not going to share him with some smelly guy with a hole in his leg.

Eric looked at me in amusement as he dropped the mail to his desk. "Sorry, Lafayette. It seems my youngest child doesn't want to share."

Pam gave me a peculiar smile, but I ignored it as I looked at Eric. "Why is he here, anyway?"

"Lafayette had an arrangement with a vampire named Eddie," Eric said in a bored tone, as though he was telling me the weather report. "Trading sexual favours for vampire blood to sell. And now Eddie's gone missing."

I glared at Lafayette. "What have you done to this vampire?"

"Shit, man!" Lafayette said, looking between me and Eric. "I told you that was Jason Stackhouse, who took Eddie. I ain't got nothing to do with that!"

I closed my mouth as my fangs retracted, and I looked at Eric in puzzlement. Jason had kidnapped a vampire? But why? Sure, he'd seemed a bit put out with the whole vampire thing at first, but he'd come around and he'd even tried to protect me from Bill.

Eric shrugged, but he didn't say anything, and neither did Pam or Chow. I couldn't stand this, so I turned back to Lafayette.

"Tell me," I said to him. "What he hell does Jason have to do with this?"

"You know Jason?" Lafayette asked in obvious confusion

"That is irrelevant. Tell me now, or I'll bite you!" Not the best threat I'd ever delivered, I knew, but it worked. I heard Eric chuckling quietly behind my back.

Lafayette sighed. "Jason, he came to me for some V a couple of weeks back. Boy had no business taking it. Couldn't handle it. Couldn't keep his mouth shut. And then he met this bitch named Amy, and I could tell they was tripping out on V all the time, but Jason wasn't coming to me to buy more V. So where the hell was he getting it? That's when Eddie disappeared."

"So where is this Amy now?" I asked, since Jason hadn't mentioned a girlfriend to me, and he certainly hadn't acted like he was taken.

"Bitch got herself killed by Rene," Lafayette said. "Like all them other girls."

"Rene Lenier," I said, nodding. Lafayette looked at me in surprise. "Also known as Drew Marshall. The serial killer who went after fangbangers. And V addicts, apparently." I looked at Eric. "We need to talk to Jason."

Eric nodded. "That is an option."

"Are we going to eat him now?" Chow asked, sounding rather cranky.

"You want to eat him?" I asked, as I wrinkled my nose. "But he smells so icky."

"Hey, bitch," Lafayette said, glaring at me. "You try living in a fucking dungeon, chained up for weeks and see if you still smell like fucking roses!"

"His blood smells fine to me," Chow said, a little defensively.

Eric walked closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder. "We'll find something else to eat. But Pam and Chow are welcome to enjoy what our guest has to offer."

And with that, both Pam and Chow dove on top of Lafayette, growling as they drank his blood none too gently. I stared, partly in shock, and partly in hunger. My fangs came out with a click.

"Come," Eric said, and he took my hand to lead me from the office.

"I haven't even had a True Blood yet," I said, as though to excuse my response.

"And yet you resisted feeding just now," Eric said and kissed me softly. "Your control is improving every day."

I smiled and followed Eric into the bar. We glamoured a couple of college students, two young men who thought themselves very daring for going to a vampire bar, and we fed on them in the hallway. Eric sent them on their way while I licked my lips, my hunger now sated. It was becoming easier and easier to feed like this, just to take whatever human we wanted and drink their blood. Perhaps it should worry me, or disgust me, but how could it, when their blood tasted so good?

Chow passed us in the hallway as he dragged Lafayette back to the basement. Lafayette didn't look too good and groaned in obvious pain, but he was still alive.

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked quietly, glancing up at Eric.

"I haven't decided yet," Eric said. He seemed unconcerned by the whole idea of keeping a wounded human in his basement. I still didn't like it, but now that I knew what Lafayette had done, I at least understood why Eric wanted to punish him.

Lafayette was a V dealer, and as Sheriff of the area, it was Eric's responsibility to make sure people like Lafayette were kept off the streets to protect the vampires living here.

"I want you to help me clean up the basement," Eric said, and I looked up at him in surprise. "You will not like it, but think of it as another lesson."

I wasn't sure what the hell he meant by that, but before I could ask, my phone rang. I took it out of my purse and answered it.

"Turid? This is Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse."

"Hey, Sookie," I said, wondering why she was calling. Had she already talked to Bill?

"Look," Sookie said in a peculiar tone of voice. "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, but the police here are looking for you."

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**A/N: A few lines of dialogue between Eric and Lafayette are taken straight from episode 2 of season 2, of course. I just love that scene, so I couldn't resist playing with it a bit. I will try to avoid doing that too often (as the idea is to write an original story, not merely a literal recounting of the TV show), but occasionally a few lines may sound familiar, as in today's chapter.**

**I've gotten the question of when we will see Godric again in the story. He will return to the story at some point, but it's not for a while yet. But of course, Godric will keep making his presence known, such as in this chapter.**

**The next chapter will be up soon. Thanks for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think! Your reviews keep me writing!**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"What?" I asked, as Eric took a step closer to me in obvious concern.

"Last night, Sam and Tara found a dead body in Andy Bellefleur's car when they closed up Merlotte's," Sookie said. "It was a woman and her heart was missing."

"Who the heck is Andy Bellefleur? And what's that got to do with me? I didn't put any dead bodies in anyone's car."

"I know," Sookie said quickly. "Andy is a police detective. And after they found the body, and the rest of the police showed up, they questioned Tara and Sam, and they both told the police an unknown vampire had been in the bar that night."

"Shit," I said, with feeling. I heard Eric growl softly beside me.

"Yeah, so now Andy and Bud Dearborn, that's the Sheriff, they want to talk to you real bad." Sookie sighed. "I think you'd best just go over there and do that. I already told them you were with me after you left Merlotte's."

I glanced at Eric, and he gave me a nod. "I guess you're right. But this really sucks. Just because I'm a vampire I'm now a murder suspect?"

"I know, it's not fair," Sookie said, her voice full of sympathy. "So do you want me to call Bud and tell him you're coming over tonight?"

"Yeah, if you could do that. We'll go talk to them. Thanks, Sookie."

"You're welcome. Bye."

I clicked my phone shut and looked at Eric. "Welcome to the Land of Prejudice."

Eric snorted. "What do you expect? They're _humans_." He made that last word sound filthy.

Well, I didn't quite know what to say to that, but I let it go. I had other things to worry about right now than Eric's attitude towards mankind.

"We will leave at once," Eric said as we walked back to the office. He stuck his head through the doorway and called a few words in Swedish to Pam, who replied in what I thought was a confirmative manner. Not that I could understand a word they were saying. I really had to get Eric to teach me Swedish as well.

"While we're in Bon Temps we can also have a word with Jason," I said, as we walked to the car.

"Yes," Eric said, as he opened the car door for me. "Did you sense anything about him?"

I waited until Eric was seated behind the wheel. "What do you mean?"

"Did he seem completely human, or did he perhaps have something special about him like his sister?"

"Ah." I thought about that. I'd taken a look at his aura, but I hadn't noticed anything strange about it. "Aside from being a complete horndog and keeping his eyes glued on my cleavage the whole night, no, he seemed normal enough."

Eric glared at me.

I giggled. "That's all he did, trust me." And then I mumbled, "Mr Jealous."

Eric ignored me in a rather haughty way. I kept giggling. "Are you going to be like this every time a guy notices my boobs?" I finally asked. "Because generally lots of guys do."

Eric looked at me with a very satisfied smirk. "Pot. Kettle. Black."

I huffed, stared at the window, and ignored Eric's snickering. "Well, I can't help it," I said, still not looking at Eric. "It's a weird side effect of my vampy-ness."

"Aww," Eric said, his voice full of false sympathy. "So when you were still human, you had no problem with Godric fucking other women. How noble of you, my little witch."

I gnawed my teeth. "I just prefer monogamy. And so does Godric. We talked about it."

"My maker prefers monogamy?" Eric asked in astonishment. "Since when?"

"Since me," I said, and then I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Vampires are not monogamous," Eric said, and there was a certain kind of finality in his voice.

My heart clenched painfully at hearing him say this. "But we are," I said, before I could stop myself.

Eric gave me a very funny look, and I quickly got back to staring out the window. Why had I said that? It's not like Eric and I were in that kind of relationship. Maker and child, with benefits, that was us. Right? Okay, so I loved him, and he totally rocked my world in the sex department, but we'd never actually talked about it, and if the look on Eric's face was any indication, we weren't going to talk about it anytime soon, either.

"Turid," Eric said after a few moments. "You cannot expect me to be monogamous. I have not been monogamous for the last 1000 years. In fact, I don't think I've ever been monogamous, even when human."

I inhaled a deep yet completely unnecessary breath. "You do not like me with other people, and I do not like you with other people. If that's not monogamy, then please explain to me what it is, because I don't know."

Eric frowned. "It is just a side effect of our bond. It will pass."

"When?" I asked, because I thought it important to know that. So I could prepare myself for an eternity of heartbreak. Maybe at first my possessiveness had been because of our bond, but now that I loved Eric, I knew I'd be jealous regardless of the state of our bond.

"How am I supposed to know?" Eric asked, sounding truly baffled.

"Well, how long did it last with Pam?"

"I did not feel this way about Pam," Eric said, a little defensively. "We had lots of sex, but there was never an issue with having sex with others as well."

"Huh." That pulled me up short. So basically I only had Eric to myself until whatever it was in our bond that made us so possessive ran out, which could be next century or tomorrow, for all I knew. Suddenly there was a lump in my throat and I tried to swallow it away. "Will you at least tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"When you go back to...you know...other women?"

Eric stared at the road for a while. "Will you do the same for me?"

"I won't have sex with other people. I promised Godric that."

Eric sighed. "This is ludicrous," he mumbled, but I heard him loud and clear. "Yes, I will tell you, if that is what you want," he finally said.

What I wanted was for Eric to be faithful to me forever, but hey, I was no fool. I'd just have to take what I could get for as long as I could get it. So I swallowed against that persistent lump in my throat and whispered, "Thank you."

"I do not desire others at this time," Eric said, and he sounded as though he had trouble finding the right words. "But I do not know how long that will last. I cannot make you any promises. I am not my maker."

"I know," I said, and I was oddly grateful he was at least trying to explain himself to me.

"But if my possessiveness wanes before yours does, I will not...I will make an effort to come to an understanding with you." Eric looked at me and frowned. "I know it would hurt you if I didn't, and I do not wish to cause you harm."

I smiled at him, a real smile. And then I leaned over and kissed him. Eric smiled against my lips. The lump in my throat finally disappeared and I felt a bit of relief. Eric would at least make an effort not to hurt me, and really, that was all I could ask of him.

"That makes you feel better?" Eric asked, a rather hopeful look on his face.

"Yes, it really does."

"Good." Eric shifted in his seat to sit in a more relaxed position. "I'm glad."

"Me too." And this time, I reached over to put my hand in Eric's. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze and held it the rest of the way.

Because of Eric's mad driving skills, it only took little over half an hour to get to Bon Temps. We located the police department in the centre of town, and Eric parked the car in a handicapped zone right in front of the station. I decided not to comment. I figured it was Eric's way of quietly rebelling against the police's attitude towards vampires.

Inside the station we were greeted by a young, blonde human. She sat behind the counter and gave me a very brief glance before she stared at Eric. I sniffed the air; if she started smelling of fear I needed to know before any accidents happened. But she didn't smell of fear at all. Instead, I smelled a few hints of arousal. I quickly took a step closer to Eric, hoping the girl would get the hint.

"Good evening," I said pleasantly. "We're here to talk to Sheriff Dearborn."

The girl didn't hear a word I said. She just kept staring at Eric, who was looking down at her with an amused smile.

"Excuse me," I said, a little louder. This time the girl looked at me, but before she could say anything Sheriff Dearborn stepped out of one of the offices.

"Is either one of you the vampire who was at Merlotte's last night?" Sheriff Dearborn asked, looking us both up and down. He was an elderly gentleman, and very much looked like most people would imagine a small town Sheriff to look.

I raised my hand. "That would be me."

"Right. If you could just step in here for a few moments," Sheriff Dearborn said, gesturing at his office. "Sir, you can wait over there." And now he gestured at some chairs opposite the counter.

"I am not leaving her side," Eric said, his voice flat.

"Are you a lawyer or something?" Sheriff Dearborn asked with distaste.

"He's my boyfriend," I said, before Eric could reply. Best to keep things as simple as possible. No need to get into vampire terminology.

"Then he can wait out here," Sheriff Dearborn said.

Eric narrowed his eyes. "Unless you are placing her under arrest, you cannot keep me from my girlfriend's side."

Something warm curled inside my belly at hearing Eric calling me his girlfriend, even though I knew it was just for show.

"Fine." Sheriff Dearborn turned around and stalked back inside his office. We followed him inside, to find another man already present. He looked like he could stand to lose a few pounds and he reeked of alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol.

"This is Andy Bellefleur," Sheriff Dearborn said as he waved us to some chairs across from the desk. We all sat down, except for Andy.

"Detective Bellefleur," Andy said, glaring at Sheriff Dearborn. "_Detective_."

Sheriff Dearborn ignored him and looked at me. "Now if you could show me some ID, please?"

I took out my wallet from my purse and handed over my driver's license.

"You from Dallas, Texas, Ms Black?" Sheriff Dearborn asked me as he studied my driver's license.

"Previously. I only just moved to Shreveport last week. I haven't had time yet to get a new driver's license," I said, as politely as possible. I hadn't even thought about all the mundane things I still had to take care of, I realized. Being a newly made vampire kept me plenty busy.

Sheriff Dearborn handed me back my driver's license. "Do you know why you're here?"

I nodded. "Because you found a woman's dead body with her heart missing in Andy's car. But I don't have anything to do with that."

"Ha!" Andy slammed both his hands on the table as he leaned closer to me. "And how would you know that poor woman's heart is missing, unless you cut it out yourself!"

I gaped at him, just as I felt Eric going rigid in his chair beside me. "I know about that poor woman because Sookie told me," I said slowly.

"Sookie Stackhouse?" Andy turned towards Bud Dearborn with a triumphant smile on his face. "See? I knew them Stackhouses had something to do with this."

"Andy," Sheriff Dearborn said in a very tired voice. "Sit down." Then he looked at me. "Why were you at Merlotte's last night?"

"I came to visit Sookie."

"Why?"

I blinked. "Because she's my friend. After she was finished working we went over to her place and talked for a while longer. After that I went home."

"And did you see anything suspicious in the parking lot when you left Merlotte's?" Sheriff Dearborn asked, and for the first time I realized they might not just want to talk to me as a suspect, but also because I was a potential witness.

I frowned and thought back to the night before. Had I heard or seen or smelled something out of the ordinary? "No," I said, shaking my head. "But I wasn't paying much attention at the time. I was exchanging a few text messages with Eric right before I left the parking lot."

"Eric?"

I pointed at Eric. "Eric Northman. My boyfriend."

"Ah." Sheriff Dearborn nodded at Eric, who nodded right back. "Are you all friends with that vampire Bill Compton?"

I didn't know how to reply to that. I wouldn't call him a friend exactly, but how to explain that to the cops? Thankfully, Eric answered instead. "Bill Compton is an acquaintance of ours, yes."

"That's how you know Sookie?" Sheriff Dearborn asked, looking at me.

I nodded. "Yes."

"All right," Sheriff Dearborn said. "Thanks for coming down here on such short notice. You can go now."

"That's bullshit!" Andy yelled, gesturing wildly at Eric and me. "Bud, these here are _vampires_. They did this, you know that!"

With vampire speed Eric pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started punching in some numbers.

"Hey now," Andy said, giving Eric a dubious look. "What are you doing?"

"Calling my lawyer," Eric said with his sweetest smile as he held his phone to his ear. "To tell him I intent to sue this entire department for slander."

"Andy, sit down!" Sheriff Dearborn rose from his seat. "That won't be necessary, Mr Northman. You're both free to go. Your girlfriend is not a suspect at this time."

Eric glared at Sheriff Dearborn for a few moments, but then he shut his phone and stuffed it back in his pocket.

"Goodbye," I said politely, and grabbed Eric's hand as we left the office. We didn't say a word until we were both seated in the car.

"Wow," I said, as Eric turned the ignition. "That was just weird."

Eric grinned and pulled out of the handicapped zone. "It actually went better than I expected."

"Yeah, I guess. At least the Sheriff seemed to genuinely want to talk to me." I was feeling very relieved about that. It was nice to know not all cops were as prejudiced as Detective Andy. "Oh, I think we'll find Jason at Merlotte's."

"We'll go there next," Eric said, and looked at me with a quirked eyebrow. "You called me your boyfriend."

"I didn't want to get into the whole maker-child thing with the cops," I said without thinking.

"Ah." Eric looked back to the road ahead. "Is that the only reason?"

"Huh?" I was completely confused by Eric's response. He thought there was more than one reason? He wanted there to be more than one reason?"

"You call Godric your boyfriend," Eric said softly. "Yet he is not your maker."

I smiled, and then I frowned. Was I reading Eric's signals right? If I wasn't, I was putting myself up for some major embarrassment. I thought hard about how to respond without making myself any more vulnerable than I already was in these matters of the heart.

"Did you like it when I called you my boyfriend?" I asked tactfully.

Eric gave me an odd look. "Did you like it when I called you my girlfriend?"

Bastard. But I closed my eyes and decided to take the plunge. "Yes, I did."

There came no reply, so I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Eric. He sat there, staring at the road, with a tiny little smile playing around his lips.

"You didn't answer my question," I said.

"I do not think anyone has ever referred to me as a boyfriend before," Eric said, his smile growing a bit wider. "But it was not unpleasant."

Well. I'd just have to take that as a 'yes'. "Good," I said, just a bit cheekily.

"Quite," Eric replied, trying to sound indifferent.

"Indeed." I looked at him with a sly smile, and Eric started chuckling. But before we could continue our teasing, we reached the parking lot of Merlotte's. Eric parked the car near the back, and as we got out, Eric sniffed the air over and over again. For a moment, I wondered what he was doing, and then it dawned at me he was trying to find out what had happened here the night before. So I inhaled deeply as well, but I couldn't smell anything other than humans. Lots and lots of humans.

We looked at each other, shrugged, and walked towards the door hand in hand.

Merlotte's was packed. It appeared most town folks were eager to come and see for themselves what had happened here, if the few words of random conversation I picked up were any indication. There were plenty of waitresses, but I couldn't see Sookie among them. Nor could I smell her. Good. That would make this a lot easier. Eric and I stood near the entrance for a moment until I spotted Jason standing near the pool table, Hoyt at his side. I tugged on Eric's hand and we strolled over to them.

"Hey you," Jason greeted me with his easy smile. And then he spotted Eric and he looked up. And up. "This your boyfriend?"

"Yes," I said, biting back a giggle. Eric squeezed my hand just a bit too hard to be comfortable, but I ignored his little jab. "This is Eric." I nodded towards the two humans. "Eric, this is Jason, and that's Hoyt."

The men exchanged a few nods, and I smiled at Jason. "Can we talk to you for a moment, Jason? Outside?"

Jason gave me a shifty look and took a step back. Oh no. Now there was a guilty expression if I ever saw one. Some of the people around us were staring at us, and I didn't want to make a scene. So I looked Jason in the eye and pushed a tiny bit of power into his mind. Not a full glamour by any means, but just a little suggestion it was all right to come talk to us.

"It will just take a moment, I promise," I told Jason with my sweetest smile. Jason nodded and put down his beer bottle. Without another word, Eric and I turned around and left the bar, Jason at our heels. Eric led us to the back of the parking lot, well away from any humans entering or leaving the bar.

"So, Jason," I said, hoping Eric would let me take the lead here. I didn't think the situation called for any of Eric' interrogation techniques. "Tell us about Eddie, the vampire you kidnapped."

"What?" Jason's face paled dramatically. "I haven't kidnapped no vampire."

One look at his aura, and I knew he was lying. I glanced at Eric, and his expression was like a thundercloud; dark and potentially deadly.

"We know you were involved," I said softly, hoping Eric would be able to control himself. "Please just tell us what happened."

Jason rubbed both his hands down his face. "It wasn't my idea, I swear. Amy cooked it all up. I kinda liked Eddie. He wasn't bad for a vampire. Or a fag."

I blinked and Eric growled softly, but Jason just rattled on.

"We kept him in our basement, tied to a chair with some silver. I talked to him a few times, and I even got him some True Blood," Jason said, as though that would excuse his behaviour. "And I wanted to let him go, but Amy...well, she...she killed him."

"Crap," I said, just as Eric's fangs clicked out.

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen, I swear!" Jason said with a pleading look. "I ain't doing V no more. Amy, she's dead now, and I don't want anything to do with any of it anymore."

I believed him, but still. In the eyes of vampire law, he was an accomplice to murder, and he was most certainly guilty of kidnapping. Eric took a step closer to Jason, and one look at his expression told me Jason would soon be lying in pieces if I didn't do anything. But what could I do against a vampire of Eric's age and strength? Not to mention he was my maker; one command and I'd have to obey him, whether I liked it or not.

But there was one way to diffuse aggression in a vampire, and I had to try it, because I couldn't just let Eric murder Jason.

"Jason, go," I said urgently, and then I used vampire speed to drop to my knees and rip open Eric's pants. I sucked his cock inside my mouth as I heard the gravel crunch as Jason ran back inside the bar.

Eric growled and his body tensed, as though he wasn't sure whether to give chase. I sucked harder, and Eric's flaccid penis came to life inside my mouth, hardening in just a few moments. Eric placed his hand on my head and guided me up and down his growing erection. I sucked him as hard and as deep as I could, not finding any pleasure in it, but knowing it was the only way to keep Eric from doing something very stupid.

After a few minutes, just when I thought Eric might come, Eric pulled away from me, yanked me to my feet, and slammed me against a nearby rusty pick-up truck. Still growling, he reached beneath my dress and ripped my panties off, and then he entered me in a single thrust.

I groaned, but it wasn't from pleasure. I wasn't in any state of arousal, and Eric was rather big, so it hurt when he pounded inside me. But I didn't say anything. Instead I wrapped my legs around his waist and let Eric do what he had to do. Eric snarled and bit down on my throat savagely, sucking my blood as he kept thrusting and thrusting until finally he stilled and came inside me with another growl.

I stayed still while Eric lapped at my neck. The wound had closed already and Eric was just licking away the remaining blood. I stared at the sky and told myself over and over again that this was part of being a vampire. Blood and sex and aggression were all so closely connected. It had been either letting Eric fuck me like this or letting Eric rip Jason to pieces. I had made the right choice, or so I told myself.

"Did I hurt you?" Eric asked, as he pulled his head away from my neck to look at me, his brow furrowed with concern.

"It's okay," I told him with a weak smile. "It's better than you ripping Jason to pieces."

"It's not," Eric said, his voice hardening. "I would much rather kill some useless human than hurt you."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I looked back up at the sky. Eric pulled out of me, and I couldn't help a little yelp from escaping my lips. Eric dropped to his knees and buried his head under my dress.

"I made you bleed," Eric said as I heard him inhale.

"I heal quickly now," I said, hoping to offer him some reassurance. I didn't want Eric to feel badly about this. It had been my choice. Eric pressed his face against my folds and licked my clit. "Eric, you don't have to do that," I said, just wanting to get the hell out of here.

"Let me make you feel good," Eric whispered. "Please."

I was so surprised by Eric saying 'please' that I didn't protest. I leaned back against the car as Eric licked and sucked at my clit in a way he probably knew would have me coming in no time. My arousal grew quickly, and I panted and bucked my hips as I found my release. But Eric didn't stop. He kept using his tongue, dragging it up and down my wet sex, and he sucked my now swollen clit over and over again, and I came again, now with a little cry as I trembled on my feet.

And still Eric didn't stop, and I keened at the pleasure that bordered on pain, but not in any bad way, not as before. My body rocked against Eric's face without me even knowing it, asking him for more and more. Eric licked and sucked and growled as my climax hit me again, now morphing quickly in yet another orgasm that drew out my pleasure until I was crying out Eric's name, my hands pushing his head between my legs, holding his mouth and tongue in place until my body was utterly spent.

Eric reappeared from under my dress and looked up at me with a grin, his mouth and chin looking shiny from my fluids. "Now do you feel good?"

"Yeah," I said with a dreamy smile, and I started giggling. Eric got to his feet and pulled me in his arms. He kissed me deeply and I tasted myself on his lips and tongue. He held me closely for a while, as I licked his face clean of my own fluids. We broke apart eventually, and Eric gave me one last kiss as he caressed my cheek. I sighed at the obvious concern in this gesture, and we held hands as we walked back to Eric's car.

We didn't say much on our drive back to Fangtasia, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I was pleased to realize that whatever kind of trouble Eric and I got into on a personal level, we always managed to find a quick solution that was acceptable to us both. I also realized that I needed to take my new dress to the dry cleaners. Sitting on it without my panties on, after what had happened, was definitely going to leave some stains. That thought made me giggle, and Eric gave me a curious look but didn't comment.

I didn't ask him what he planned to do about Jason. I didn't think he'd kill the poor guy, but knowing Eric, he might just try to blackmail him or collect on a few favours in the future. That was Eric's job as a vampire Sheriff, after all, and I didn't want to get involved in that any more than I already was.

Eric and I went straight to his office when we arrived at Fangtasia, and Pam joined us a minute later.

"Pam," Eric said as he sat behind his desk, looking through some papers. "Do you have some spare panties for Turid? She's had a little...accident."

I glared at him while Pam sniffed the air delicately and gave me a knowing smile. She zipped out of the office and returned a moment later holding out a pair of white, lacy panties to me. "Keep some spare underwear in your purse from now on," she said with a devilish smile. "It makes life as a vampire so much easier. Trust me."

I accepted the panties, and then wondered if I should go to the bathroom or not to put them on. Both Eric and Pam were looking at me expectantly. Oh, what the hell. I was wearing a dress, after all. So I slipped the panties on, careful not to snag them with my heels, without flashing them.

"So when do I get to play with her?" Pam asked, glancing at Eric.

"Hey, standing right here," I said indignantly. They ignored me.

"I don't think you're her type, Pam," Eric said, and he sounded quite pleased about that.

"Hm." Pam looked me over. "Perhaps it's time then that she learned the pleasures that only another female can give her."

I snorted. "I already know those pleasures. I've had a girlfriend, thank you very much."

Both Eric and Pam looked at me with renewed interest.

"But Eric's right," I added quickly. "You're not my type, Pam."

"Yet," Pam said, and with one last dazzling smile she sauntered out of the office, her heels clicking daintily all the way back to the bar. I stared after her as Eric chuckled quietly. I sat down on the couch as Eric opened a few more envelopes, my thoughts not focussing on any one particular thing. After a few minutes, Eric rose from his seat and curiously, he grabbed a large roll of garbage bags from the shelves that lined the wall.

"Now we clean up the basement," he said, as I got to my feet. His expression was rather sombre, and I wondered what could be so bad down there, except for a smelly Lafayette. "Remember, my beautiful child, this is a lesson, and I expect obedience."

"All right," I said hesitantly, and I followed him to the basement door. As soon as Eric opened it, a rush of odours assaulted my nose. It smelled like blood and death and decay.

"Come," Eric said firmly, and descended the stairs. I followed closely behind, but as soon as we rounded the corner in the stairs, I froze in place.

There were pieces. Blood, so much blood, and _pieces_.

Before Eric could stop me, I bolted right back up the stairs.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

I didn't stop running until I was out the backdoor and inhaled the night's air. It was ridiculous, of course, since I was a vampire, but I just needed fresh air.

Eric was right behind me. "My child, this is a lesson. You must do this or I will be forced to punish you."

"I'll take the punishment," I said without thinking. Anything was better than having to deal with _pieces_. I kept inhaling deep and deeper breaths. My easy acceptance of any punishment seemed to knock the wind out of Eric's threat.

He cupped my face with his hand and forced me to look up at him. "Is this about your witch friend Eliza? Or the human Gabe?"

"Both," I said. "I just...I keep remembering - "

"Ah, but those are but memories," Eric said easily. "Thoughts of events that have already occurred and cannot be changed. Why do you allow these to have such an effect on you?"

"Er...I can't really help thinking about it," I stammered, unsure where Eric was going with this.

"But you can, if you put some effort into it," Eric said with conviction. "They are just pieces of flesh."

I shuddered.

Eric offered me a reassuring smile. "You ate meat when you were human, yes?" He waited until I nodded, and then continued. "Those were pieces of flesh, and yet you ate them."

I stared at him while my mouth dropped open. It was a very good thing vampires rarely got sick, or I might have tossed my cookies.

"You were willing to eat pieces of flesh, yet now a few more, perhaps bigger, pieces of flesh have you recoiling in fear." Eric tapped a finger against my forehead. "It's all in your head, my little witch. You are letting this become a weakness, while all you have to do is stand up and face this irrational fear."

I wanted to argue with him, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I hated to admit it, but Eric had a point. It was all in my head. I wanted it to stay there, of course. I didn't want to deal with _pieces_, but as long as I didn't, I allowed it to be a weakness.

"I will be right there with you," Eric said, and he looked like he knew I was close to caving. "We will clean up these pieces together." He leaned closer and brushed his lips across my ear. "Once and for all."

I sighed. Eric had a really good point. Maybe I could use this very distasteful situation to help me get over those traumatic events. Then I thought of something else. "Eric, I'm wearing a new dress. I don't want it to get stained."

Eric stared over my shoulder at my butt. "Too late for that," he said with a snicker. I smacked him against his chest.

"I was going to take it to the dry cleaners."

"And now you can just throw it away and I'll buy you a new dress," Eric said reasonably.

"I do not like to waste things," I said with a frown. Having lived in so many countries where people had to make do with so little had made me quite the frugal girl, and the thought of throwing away a new dress after having only worn it once was just appalling. "Give me one of the trash bags."

Eric tore off one of the bags of the roll he was still holding and held it out to me with a curious look.

I unfolded the bag and was pleased to note it was quite sizeable. I quickly ripped three holes in the top, and then pulled the bag on over my dress, worming my arms and head through the holes. The bag covered my entire dress, and I looked up at Eric with a triumphant smile.

Eric stared at me with a most astonished look on his face, and then he bent double and laughed harder than I'd ever heard him laugh before. I crossed my arms, the trash bag rustling loudly as I did so, and tapped my foot against the concrete, yet Eric kept laughing and laughing.

"I have never seen anyone," Eric snorted with laughter and hiccupped before he could continue, "wear a trash bag before. You look ridiculous! Take it off!"

"No," I said, deeply offended by his response. "Now do you want to do this or not? Because I'm about to change my mind."

"All right," Eric said helplessly, and grabbed my hand. He kept snorting and wheezing as we walked back inside the bar. Outside the basement door I took off my shoes. I figured I could wash my feet easily, but if my shoes got smeared with blood and other stuff, they'd be ruined. Eric observed me quietly, having finally calmed down from his fit of hysterics.

And thus I descended the stairs of the Basement of Doom once more, bare-footed and dressed in a trash bag.

I knew what to expect now, yet still the sight of those pieces made me want to run. I steadied myself and walked inside the basement with my head held high, yet my body still trembled and my knees seemed weak.

I stepped into a large puddle of blood, lost my footing, and unceremoniously dropped down, landing square on my butt. Cold, sticky blood splattered me. Eric looked at me over his shoulder, and I held out a hand to him, urging him to help me up.

"You suspected this would happen?" Eric asked me with a quirk of his eyebrow as he pulled me to my feet. "This is why you are wearing the trash bag?"

I glared at him. "Let's just get this over with," I said through gritted teeth, trying with all my might not to feel the blood dripping down the back of my legs. The worst part was that the blood didn't smell so bad at all. The pieces did; they smelled of death, but my nose and my brain couldn't find any fault in the scent of the blood itself.

Lafayette observed us quietly. He was sitting as far back as his chain would allow, and his face shone with sweat while his eyes reflected the pain he was obviously in.

"Hi," I said, because I didn't know what else to say to a wounded prisoner.

"Hey," Lafayette replied cautiously, looking me up and down. "Don't you look pretty tonight, hookah."

Eric started laughing all over again, and I glared at Lafayette. "Doesn't she look ridiculous?" Eric asked Lafayette, as though they were good buddies meeting at the bar for a beer.

Lafayette looked up at Eric with a weak smile. "Yeah. It's not really my style."

Eric turned to me with a triumphant smile. I ignored him and finally made myself look at the pieces. By the scraps of clothing I could tell it had been a male.

"Who was this, anyway?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me, as usual. "It's only one guy, right?" I asked in afterthought. I looked around again. I could only see one head.

"This human was responsible for setting a fire that killed three of our kind a few weeks back," Eric said, kicking at a stray arm. I tried not to shudder. "I wanted to interrogate him, but he took silver to me." Eric shrugged, as though this was business as usual for him.

Memo to me: never, ever take silver to Eric. Never, ever even joke about taking silver to Eric. Never, ever even think about taking silver to Eric.

"His name was Royce," Lafayette whispered, as though it was important I knew that.

I nodded. "Royce wasn't a very bright man, I take it?" How could he have been, if he thought attacking a vampire like Eric with silver was a good idea.

"He was a dumb-ass redneck," Lafayette said, and then shut his mouth. 'But he didn't deserve this', was left unsaid, but I still understood that loud and clear.

It suddenly dawned on me that Lafayette had spent the last day in here with these pieces, and a wave of sympathy swept through me. Lafayette didn't seem like a bad guy. Yes, he was a V dealer, but other than that, he seemed nice enough. "Are you in a lot of pain?" I asked, before I could stop myself.

Lafayette snorted, and looked up at me with tired eyes. Perhaps he was all out of wisecracks. I couldn't blame him for that.

"I can take the pain away, if you want," I said, as Eric looked at me in confusion. I didn't care what he thought at that moment.

"How? You got some Tylenol?" Lafayette asked bitterly, and narrowed his eyes. "Or are you gonna use that vampire hypno-shit on me?"

"Neither," I said, as I shuffled closer to him, careful to avoid the pieces. "Just a little spell."

"A what now?" Lafayette asked, but I ignored him. I crouched down beside him and put my hand on his leg over the wound. Closing my eyes, I quietly chanted the appropriate charm as I pushed my power into him. It was a simple enough charm; it would take away most of his pain and speed up the healing process.

I pulled my hand away, and much to my surprise I saw the flesh knitting together before my eyes and in seconds his leg was healed. "Huh," I said, just as Lafayette said, "How the fuck did you do that?"

Eric had been observing me and I looked up at him over my shoulder. "It wasn't supposed to - "

"Quiet!" Eric snapped, and I shut up at once, as Lafayette jerked back in fear, his chain rattling. I knew what Eric meant; we couldn't be sure the basement wasn't bugged. "We will discuss this later," Eric said in a calmer voice, and I nodded.

Lafayette didn't ask anymore questions, either. He was a smart man. He did look at me while I rose to my feet and whispered, "Thanks."

I smiled briefly, and then turned around and set to work. Eric ripped off a couple of bags from the roll and handed me one. I tried not to think of anything as I picked up the pieces and deposited them in my bag. I certainly didn't try to think about what the pieces had actually been. There was only one moment when I thought I'd lose it; when Eric stomped down on a large piece to make it more manageable. The sound of bones breaking made me tremble for a moment, but I steadied myself and continued my horrific task.

I didn't want this to be a weakness. I wanted to get past it. And by the time we were done and had Royce packed away in a few bags, I thought I had succeeded at least somewhat.

"I'll have Ginger clean up the rest of this," Eric said, gesturing at the puddles of blood. He picked up two of the bags. That left two for me. I knew Ginger was one of the waitresses, but that's all I knew about her. I didn't envy her this task one bit, though.

Eric and I carried the bags out the backdoor to a locked garbage container. "The company that collects our trash is run by Weres," Eric explained, as we dumped the bags in the container. "I pay them handsomely to burn our trash without asking questions."

I ripped off the trash bag I was wearing and pushed it into the container as well before Eric closed and locked it. There were only a few blood splatters on the bottom of my dress and I hoped the dry cleaner's would be able to get them out. And that they wouldn't ask any questions. My dress was dark-blue, so the blood splatters didn't stand out much. Perhaps the dry cleaner's wouldn't even notice.

Of course, my feet and my legs were covered in blood, so once inside I made a beeline for the shower in the employee area. Surprisingly, Eric didn't try to join me, or even tease me. Perhaps he understood I needed a few moments by myself.

I undressed and washed myself with the available bar of soap, careful not to get my face or hair wet. I didn't want to have to reapply my make-up or spend the rest of the night with wet hair.

I found Eric in his office, sitting at his desk reading a few forms. I pulled up a chair to sit beside him and gave him a soft kiss. He smiled at me.

"Feeling all right?" he asked, and I gave him a firm nod.

"Can I use your computer for a bit? I want to order some more shoes to go with my new dresses." As I said this, I typed in 'wiccan supplies' in the google search box. Eric looked from the screen to me and nodded.

"Of course, my beautiful child," he said with a wink. "Order whatever you want. Be sure to have the shoes sent to Bobby, so he'll deliver them to you at once."

And thus I spent half an hour ordering a complete Wiccan altar set-up. I had made the decision in the shower, that I needed to get back to my roots. First I accidentally glamoured a vampire, and now I accidentally healed a human. Something was going on with my magic, and I needed to find out what.

I selected a small altar table, a nice purple cloth with a pentacle print to go on top of it, a resin-cast statue of the Goddess Isis, whom I always prayed to, a few decent altar candles, some incense and charcoal tablets, and a copper bowl.

That should do it for now. I already had a complete altar set-up, but I'd packed it in a box when I left California and had yet to unpack it. When I'd arrived in Dallas, I'd never thought I'd want to pray to the Goddess again. Ordering a few new things was a lot easier than have Godric or Ally go through all my boxes in my spare bedroom in Dallas, looking for my original stuff.

Eric worked quietly beside me as he filled out this form or that, and I enjoyed his presence. It was so calming, so peaceful, to know my maker was near. As I set back from the keyboard once I was done shopping I realized so much had happened that night; Eric and Godric's stupid test, visiting the cops in Bon Temps, questioning Jason and all that had happened because of that, and finally, cleaning up the basement and my unexpected new healing powers.

My mind was exhausted, but my body was still energized, ready for action at a moment's notice. Such was the way of the vampire, but at that moment, I really wished I could just curl up on Eric's couch and nap for an hour or two.

I must have slipped into downtime at some point, because the next thing I knew was Eric's lips softly brushing across my cheek. I smiled at the contact.

"Waky, waky," Eric said, and gave me a proper kiss when I turned to look at him. "We're about to close the bar. Then we'll go home."

I moaned at that idea, and Eric grinned as he pulled me to my feet. Going home with Eric, make love for a while, spend some time writing a letter to Godric, and then meet the dawn in Eric's arms. It sounded absolutely perfect.

I grabbed my purse and we walked out to the bar. Eric discussed a few things with Chow while I sipped on a True Blood. At 2 am sharp Pam herded the remaining humans out the door, and she locked up while Eric and Chow counted the money from the cash register.

Just a few more minutes and we'd be on our way to a blissful night spent together.

A loud banging on the front door shook us all out of our thoughts.

"Stay here," Eric said to me with a firm look as he and Chow zipped towards the door. I heard the click of the locks and exchanged a concerned glance with Pam as we waited to see what was going on.

"Please." It was Bill's voice. "I need your help."

And then I smelled it; the sweetest blood I'd ever smelled before. A few seconds later, Bill came rushing in, a bleeding and unconscious Sookie in his arms, Eric and Chow on his heels.

I'd never smelled anything so good in my life. And before I could help myself, my fangs popped down with a audible click.

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**A/N: Sorry, folks, just a short chapter right now. I've got places to be for a while, but perhaps later tonight I might be able to write and post more. Thanks so much for reading, and do let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

A battle erupted in my mind between the two sides of my personality.

_Eat her_, said Vampire-me.

_This is Sookie_, said Witch-me.

_So? Eat her_, said Vampire-me.

_But this is Sookie. She is a friend. I can't eat her_, said Witch-me.

_Who cares? You'll make new friends. Have you smelled her blood, seriously? Drain her dry! _said Vampire-me.

And as this war was waged inside my head I stood rigid, my gaze fixed on Sookie's bleeding form as Bill lowered her face down on top of one of the leather benches.

"Think of maggots," someone whispered into my ear, and it took me a moment before I realized it wasn't a voice in my head. It was Pam. She looked at me with one curved eyebrow. "Or rats crawling through faeces in the sewer. Either one works for me."

"Turid," Eric called from across the bar. "Come here."

Oh boy. I inhaled a deep yet pointless breath, and with my mind set on maggots and rats and faeces in sewers and _pieces_ I shuffled towards Eric.

"You called?" I asked in a tiny voice. Eric looked at me and started chuckling.

"She smells delicious, doesn't she?"

"Not helping, Eric!" I yanked my thoughts away from drinking every last drop of Sookie's blood and back to sewers. And pieces covered in faeces floating in sewers.

Eric grabbed my hand and gave it a firm squeeze. "Let's not focus on her blood, but on what did this to her instead."

I glanced up at Eric. "What did this to her?"

"That is what we need to find out. Bill mentioned a bull-headed beast. Can you make something of her aura?" Eric gave my hand another encouraging squeeze. I clung to him for dear life and stared at Sookie, gazing intently at her aura.

"It looks different than before," I said, and the more I stared at Sookie's aura, the easier it became to ignore the scent of her blood. "It almost looks...tainted."

"What do you mean?" Bill demanded as he stood leaning over Sookie, stroking a few strands of her hair away from her face. If I'd had any doubts whether Bill had any real feelings for Sookie, they were put to rest now; Bill's aura was lighting up like a Christmas tree with fear and desperation and a deep affection.

"I'm not sure," I said, studying Sookie's aura again. "Tell us what happened. Leave nothing out."

Bill sighed and stared at the floor beside Sookie's still form. "Sookie took Jessica to her parents' house."

"What?" I gaped at Bill. Was he nuts?

"Against my wishes," Bill said, glaring at me. "I arrived in time to prevent any accidents. On our way home, Sookie and I...argued about the situation. She left the car and ran into the woods. I heard her scream but a few moments later. I found her lying on the ground."

"And there was no trace of whatever attacked her?" Eric asked quietly.

Bill shook his head. "I gave Sookie some of my blood, but...it did nothing. I then decided not to waste time searching for her attacker but to seek help immediately. She mentioned a bull-headed beast did this to her. "

"Hm," Eric said with a frown. He took the words right out of my mouth. This was a most peculiar situation. I knew of plenty of magical creatures that roamed the woods at night and might attack an unsuspecting human, but none looked like a bull-headed beast. Also, none would leave such a taint in a human aura.

"It almost looks like she's been infected with something," I said, looking between Eric and Bill. "As though something's trying to take her over. Some magical force."

"Can you fix this?" Bill asked, and he sounded completely desperate.

I stared at the three deep claw marks on Sookie's back. "I have never seen something like this before. I'm not sure what to do, and I don't think this is the time for experimentation."

"Pam, call the doctor," Eric called over his shoulder, and Pam hurried towards the office.

At that moment, Sookie woke up and moaned and thrashed as Bill tried to hold her down without harming her. I acted without thinking, running on my magical instincts. I placed my hand on Sookie's forehead and pushed some power into her. Just a tiny bit, a fraction of what I'd used on Lafayette, and I chanted the charm to take her pain away.

It worked like it was supposed to this time. Sookie sighed against the bench as her body relaxed, and Bill looked at me with an expression that bordered on gratitude.

The smell of Sookie's sweet blood was still strong, but focussing on my magic made it manageable. Also Eric holding my hand tightly helped a great deal. He smiled down at me and pulled me a little closer. I leaned against his body, and I was able to relax, knowing my maker would keep me safe.

There was a sharp knock at the door. Chow answered it, and moments later a tiny female walked inside the bar, holding a large bag. She looked like she was part Goblin, with one or two other things mixed in. And one look at her aura, and I knew this was a Healer. Capital H. Sure, I knew a few healing spells and potions, but my knowledge paled in comparison to a true Healer; someone who'd dedicated their knowledge and magic to the healing arts. I'd met a few Healers throughout my life, and I perked up at the idea of seeing this Healer work her awesome brand of magic.

"What do you want now, Northman?"

"Dr. Ludwig," Eric said, staring down at the tiny Healer. "It's nice to see you, too."

"Save it. What happened to this human?" Dr Ludwig plopped her bag down and looked Sookie over. "And who put a spell on her?"

I slowly raised my hand. "That was me. Just to take away her pain. We're not sure what happened to her. She said it was a bull-headed beast that attacked her. All I know is that her aura looks tainted."

"Yes, I can see that." Dr Ludwig studied me for a moment and then looked way up at Eric. "So now you've turned a witch, Northman. That's bold, even for you."

"Thank you," Eric said with his sweetest smile.

Dr Ludwig huffed and glared at me. "You, witch, remove the spell so I can examine her."

Suddenly under enormous pressure, I shuffled closer to Sookie and touched her forehead. Performing healing magic in front of a Healer was like singing in front of Whitney Houston or Celine Dion; no matter how good you thought you were, you already knew you wouldn't compare. I pressed a tiny sliver of power into Sookie and erased the charm.

"Hm," Dr Ludwig said, and looked me over again, top to bottom.

Sookie inhaled a rasping breath and shuddered against the table. Eric tugged on my hand as he sat down in a chair. I lowered myself into his lap, and with his arm securely wrapped around my waist, I watched Dr Ludwig work.

She mentioned a poison as she explained the situation to Sookie using a Komodo Dragon as an example. Poor Sookie hardly seemed to comprehend the situation, and Bill was getting more and more agitated by the second.

"Give us some privacy," Dr Ludwig said, looking between Eric and Bill. "I need to remove her clothing."

Eric and I got up and as Bill spoke some reassurances to Sookie, I made to follow Eric to his office, disappointed I wouldn't get to see more of the healing.

"Witch, you stay," Dr Ludwig said, and at once I yanked my hand from Eric's grip and zipped to Dr Ludwig's side. The Healer wanted little old me to stay. She didn't have to tell me twice. Once Eric and Bill were gone, Dr Ludwig looked me in the eye. "You sit on her legs and hold her down. If she becomes too distressed, cast another spell. But something subtle. I cannot have your magic interfere with my healing."

"Yes, Doctor," I said and slid on top of Sookie's thighs. I leaned over her, one hand pressing against the back of her neck. Since Dr Ludwig was so small she still had plenty of room to work on Sookie's back this way. All previous thoughts of Sookie's sweet blood were now forgotten, replaced by my desire to watch this brand of magic being performed.

Dr Ludwig set to work at Sookie's back and it wasn't a pretty sight. Sookie bucked up and cried out, but I had a firm grip on her. At one point she shrieked in such pain I pushed a trickle of magic into her and at once she calmed down. Dr Ludwig hummed in approval and continued removing the poison from the wounds. Of course, the shriek had been loud enough to alert Bill and he rushed back into the bar. Eric sauntered in after him a moment later. They both observed us quietly; Bill looking ready to rip something to pieces and Eric looking only interested in the sweet scent of Sookie's blood.

I only needed to push one more trickle of magic into Sookie to keep her calm enough for Dr Ludwig to finish. Dr Ludwig stood back and nodded at me. I released Sookie's neck, stepped off her and sat down in Eric's lap. He wrapped an arm tightly around my waist and nuzzled my neck.

"You can give her blood now," Dr Ludwig told Bill. "Her body should accept it."

Bill bit his wrist and pressed it to Sookie's mouth, muttering encouragements to her. I flared my nostrils at the scent of his blood; it didn't smell as powerful as Eric or Godric's blood, but it still seemed quite appetizing.

Dr Ludwig packed her bag and then stood in front of Eric and me. She held out a small card. "Once you've got your bloodlust firmly under control, give me a call," she said to me, as I accepted her business card. "I can always use decent help at the clinic."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, staring down at the card in awe. The Healer wanted my help at the clinic? Holy crap!

"I'll expect my payment by the end of the week," Dr Ludwig told Eric with a brief glance and then she walked out.

"Are you going to pay for this?" I asked Eric with a frown. Healers like Dr Ludwig were wickedly expensive. "She's Bill's human."

Eric chuckled and gave me an amused look. I knew Eric had plenty of money and to him a Healer's fee might not mean much, but it was the principle that mattered. Sookie was Bill's responsibility, not Eric's.

"I will pay for Sookie's care," Bill said tightly. I looked at him. He should have offered to do that from the start, the second Dr Ludwig arrived. Ah well. I decided to let it go. I was way too pleased with the card I was holding. I waved it in Eric's face and beamed at him.

"I must warn you," Eric said carefully. "Dr Ludwig is no fan of the fang."

I shrugged. "She called me witch, not vampire. Maybe she's willing to ignore my vampy-ness for the sake of my magic."

"I hope she will, for your sake," Eric said and gave me a soft kiss. He seemed happy for me, which pleased me to no end. I returned the kiss, and teased his lips with my tongue until he parted them. I buried a hand in his hair and kissed him deeply. Eric slid his hands under my butt and pressed me a little closer. I moaned into his mouth, just when someone cleared their throat behind us.

Pam and Chow stood there, and Pam had leaves stuck in her hair and her fancy heels were covered in mud.

"Oh," I said, looking at Pam in concern. "What happened to your shoes?"

Pam gave me such a hard glare in return I shrank back in Eric's embrace. "The area has been scanned," Pam said, in a tone that dared anyone to argue with her.

"The tracks were human, but the smell was distinctly animal," Chow said.

"Animal?" I looked between Chow and Eric. "No animal would leave a stain like that in someone's aura."

"It's what we smelled," Chow said with a shrug.

"Huh." I frowned as I glanced at Eric. "And you've never heard of anything like this in all your years?"

"Surprisingly, no," Eric said, and I got up from his lap.

"Then I think it's time we called Yoda." Ignoring everyone's confused looks, I collected my purse with vampire speed and pulled out my cell phone. As Eric gave Pam and Chow a few more instructions, I hit the speed dial.

"Godric," I said once my boyfriend (my other boyfriend?) answered the phone. "We have a slight situation."

"Are you hurt?" Godric asked me, his voice full of concern.

"No, I'm fine, and so is Eric. But Sookie, the telepath, she was hurt badly tonight." And I proceeded to tell Godric what had happened, leaving out no detail. "I can't think of any animal, magical or otherwise, who would be able to do this," I said as I finished my tale. "Or any magical creature, for that matter."

Godric was silent for a moment and I waited patiently for his reply. "There are many magical creatures so old and so rare they have all but been forgotten, even in legends and myths. I will consult my library to see if I can find anything."

"That would be great," I said, and walked closer to Eric, who was watching and listening intently. "The taint in her aura looked so strange," I said, and as I said it, something dawned on me with the power of a hundred suns. "Shit," I whispered, and dropped down in Eric's lap as my knees gave way.

"Turid? Are you still there?" Godric asked quietly.

"Yes. I just realized something. Some demons have horns." I swallowed as I looked at Sookie. She was out cold, so she was no help. "To someone like Sookie, who wouldn't be able to tell a leprechaun from a pixie, a horned demon might look like a bull-headed beast."

Bill and Eric stared at me in silence, and it even took Godric a few moments to speak.

"Put Eric on the phone," Godric said, and I handed the phone to Eric at once. They started talking in that language I didn't understand while I leaned back against Eric's chest. He absently slid his arm around my waist. It could be a demon that had attacked Sookie. But what the hell had a demon been doing in the woods in Northern Louisiana? And more importantly, who'd summoned it?

Eric shut my phone and handed it back to me. "Godric will call if he finds something."

I nodded and slipped my phone and Dr Ludwig's card in my purse. I was suddenly exhausted again, and all I wanted was to rest. Eric seemed to sense my shifting mood and he gently pulled me to my feet as he got up.

"I don't want to move her," Bill said, gesturing at Sookie.

"Of course not," Eric said, one arm wrapped securely around my waist. "There's a coffin in the back. You're welcome to it." And with that, he led me out of the bar to his SUV. The moment we were seated inside the car and Eric pulled out of the parking lot, I slipped into downtime. It wasn't exactly like taking a nap. I was aware at some level of everything around me, but it still offered my mind a reprieve from all the pressures of my life.

I didn't snap out of it until Eric parked the car in the garage. He helped me out of the car and I held his hand tightly as we walked down to the bedroom. Eric undressed me, pulled back the sheets and eased me down onto the bed. He took quick care of his own clothes and crawled into bed with me, pulling up the sheets to cover us both.

"I still have to write a letter to Godric," I mumbled.

"I think my maker would much rather have you take your rest when you need it than have you write to him," Eric said, and he wrapped his arms around me, settling me against his chest.

I didn't argue. I was too tired to argue. "Will you stay with me?" I asked, rubbing my cheek against Eric's chest. It was still an hour or two before dawn. Eric probably had lots of work to do in his office. But I wanted him to stay, even though that probably made me a sentimental fool in his eyes.

But much to my surprise, Eric kissed my hair and whispered, "Of course." And I slipped into downtime just as Eric's body relaxed beneath mine. My last thought was that perhaps Eric needed a bit of downtime as much as I did after the night we'd had.

The sun rose eventually, but I hardly noticed it.

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"We have to talk," Eric said, as we lay together in bed after a brilliant round of wake-up sex. I looked up at him in alarm. Usually, when someone uttered that phrase to the person they were in a relationship with, it meant something bad was sure to follow.

"Okay," I said cautiously. "So talk."

"It concerns the Queen's new job for me," Eric said, his face blank. I relaxed somewhat. A talk about vampire jobs I could handle. "She wants me to sell vampire blood for her."

I bolted upright and stared at Eric in complete disbelief. "Is she nuts?"

"That is a matter of opinion," Eric said, and his expression remained impassive. How could he be so calm about this?

"But why?" I asked, unable to comprehend why any vampire would want to sell vampire blood. It would only fuel the market, create more demand, and thus encourage more drainers to go after vampires to get even more product on the market. It was a lose-lose situation.

Eric sighed. "I suspect she's in financial trouble. She never was smart about her money."

"Fucking hell," I said, because it was the only thing I could say about this. "I take it you can't refuse?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow that told me all I had to know.

"Okay, so you have to do this," I said, desperately trying to wrap my mind around the whole idea. "How can you do this without..." I trailed off, unsure how to explain myself.

"Without what?" Eric asked.

"Without getting into trouble!" I was taken aback by the slight hysteria in my own voice, but I couldn't suppress it. "Without getting arrested! Without every other vampire out there wanting to kill you for selling V!"

"That is why I wanted to talk to you about this," Eric said, calm as you please. "I was considering using Lafayette for this."

I stared at him.

"He already knows how to sell the product," Eric said reasonably.

"This is crazy," I said, and pushed myself off the bed. I needed to move, to run, to fight. "This is fucknuts insane."

Eric was standing by my side in a second and he looked down at me with a deep frown. "My child, remember the lesson from my maker."

I looked at my feet. "There is only survival or death," I mumbled.

"Yes. And that goes for this situation as well. I cannot refuse. I cannot even do a bad job of it, because if I do, the Queen will find a way to get rid of me, and by association, of you."

"All right," I said with a firm nod. "I understand this is something we must do, whether we like it or not. So tell me what you have planned." I was immensely proud of myself I managed to keep my voice from wavering, because in all honesty, all I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs. But that would do neither me or Eric any good, so I controlled myself.

"Like I said, I want to use Lafayette. But we must be able to keep track of his whereabouts at all times. We must control him as best we can. You understand this, yes?"

"Yes," I said and frowned. "There are a couple of spells I could - "

"That is why I want you to give Lafayette your blood," Eric said in a tone of voice that brooked no argument.

"Okay," I whispered. "Now _that_ is crazy."

"No," Eric said with a half-smile. "That is a lesson."

"How is that a lesson?" I demanded. I did not want to be connected to any human, let alone one I only vaguely knew and liked.

"It's a lesson in sensing a human, in controlling a human, and in using a human for your own benefit," Eric said, and his expression softened somewhat. "Besides, you seem to have some sort of feelings towards this human. You healed him without being told to do so."

"And you're okay with that?" I asked, suddenly worried for a whole new reason. Was Eric already losing his possessiveness of me? "Me forming a connection with a human guy I might have some sort of feelings for?"

Eric grinned. "I'm quite sure Lafayette prefers only men."

I threw my head back and snorted with laughter, both in relief that Eric was obviously still possessive of me, and because of the ridiculousness of the whole situation. Eric stepped closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into his embrace, pressing my cheek against his shoulder.

"If we're going to do this, I want more control than just a blood connection," I said quietly, playing several scenarios out in my mind, and none of them ended well.

"Explain," Eric said against my hair.

"I want to cast a few spells to make sure Lafayette doesn't spill the beans to anyone. That even if someone were to torture him, he would be unable to say who supplies him with blood. That is the only way to protect ourselves. And that is also the only way I will agree to this."

Eric tilted my chin up and pressed a kiss to my lips. "My beautiful and smart child," he said with a cheeky grin. "You do what you must."

"Thanks, oh benevolent master," I said, and yelped when Eric smacked my butt. "I just need to get some of his hair, and then I'll be able to cast the appropriate spells."

"That should be no problem," Eric said, and pulled me towards the bathroom. "We should get ready for Fangtasia now. We have Bill and his human waiting, and we need to set everything up with Lafayette."

"No sex in the shower then," I said and gave Eric my best pout.

"Oh, I think we can squeeze in a quickie," Eric breathed against my ear. I shivered and offered him a sly smile in return.

Eric was right. We managed a quickie that turned into a not-so-quickie, and yet we still got ready in time. Vampire speed came in handy for many things.

We arrived at Fangtasia before it opened and as we walked towards the front door we heard Sookie's voice inside.

"I'm alive and in one piece, unlike my friend Lafayette who Eric chained up like an animal and left to bleed to death. You better not have known anything about this, Bill Compton, because if you did, I don't think I could ever forgive you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Bill said.

Eric and I shared a look as he pushed open the door. Oh boy, what were we in for now.

"I imagine she's referring to the human in my basement," Eric said in a bored tone, as though he was offering Bill the daily traffic report. "The human had traded sexual services with a vampire in order to sell his blood, which as you know is a grave offence."

I stood right beside Eric, unsure how to explain this entire mess to Sookie.

"His name is Lafayette," Sookie said as she stepped closer to Eric. "And you ought to be ashamed of yourself for what you've done to him." She drew her hand back and slapped Eric in his face.

And with that, every vampire instinct I had erupted to the surface with only one goal in mind; annihilate the threat to my maker.

And before anyone could stop me, I bared my fangs and pounced.

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**A/N: Oh yeah, you knew that was coming. Poor Sookie and her human sensibilities. And poor Turid and her vampire instincts. The next chapter should be up tomorrow. I'm going to have a great time writing it. It should be fun! A few lines of dialogue of this chapter were of course taken from season 2 episode 3, because they were too good not to use. Thanks for reading everyone, and do let me know what you think of this new turn of events. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

I tackled Sookie to the ground, sank my fangs into her throat, and tasted her blood. Such sweet, _sweet_ blood. Sookie screamed, and someone growled, and I drank as deeply as I could. All thoughts of why I had attacked her were forgotten, and the only thing that mattered was the squirming human beneath me and her delicious blood that flowed freely down my throat.

A hand clamped around the back of my neck like a vice. "My child, release her. Now!"

Eric's voice penetrated the red fog in my mind enough that I raised my head up and at once Eric yanked me back. He wrapped his arm around my waist and held me tightly, my back pressed against his chest.

I blinked and licked my lips and vaguely became aware of the world around me. Bill crawled to his feet at the other end of the bar. Why was he all the way over there? Oh, of course. He'd probably tried to protect his human and Eric had tossed him away. And Sookie was still lying on the floor, one hand pressed against her throat over the bleeding wounds, and she stared up at me in shock and disbelief.

"Calm down," Eric said to me and I tried my best to obey him. It took me a few moments, but then the red fog dissipated inside my mind, to be replaced by memories of Sookie's assault on my maker.

"You stupid cow," I snarled at Sookie, just as Bill kneeled by her side. He pulled Sookie's hand away, inspected the wound, and pressed a white handkerchief against it. The wound didn't look too bad. Just two rather sloppy puncture wounds. I hadn't ripped out her throat.

"We spent all night healing you, saving your life, and this is how you repay us?" I bared my fangs at Sookie as her blood dripped down my chin. "You assault my maker?"

Sookie swallowed, and two tears trickled down her cheeks. "Did you know? About Lafayette?"

Oh my goodness? Was she still going on about that stupid human? "He's a V dealer," I said with a growl in my voice. "Eric's doing his job as a vampire Sheriff by keeping him off the streets."

"I thought you were a good person," Sookie said, her voice cracking. "But you are just like _him_." She looked between Eric and me, her eyes narrowing under the weight of the accusations visible in them.

Okay, now I wasn't just pissed off, now I was offended. "Fuck you, Sookie! How about you stop passing judgement on people you hardly know, and instead start looking in your own backyard!" I was becoming so furious I struggled against Eric's grip, but he held me tight. "Next time you see your brother, how about you ask him what he did to the vampire Eddie."

"What?" Sookie asked in obvious confusion.

"Your precious human brother kidnapped the vampire Eddie, then kept him prisoner in his basement so he could drink his blood, and finally he let his bitch of a girlfriend Amy kill poor Eddie!"

"Jason would never do that," Sookie said, yet there was a slight waver in her voice, as though she was unsure about what Jason would or wouldn't do.

"You're a fucking telepath, Sookie!" I growled, once more struggling against Eric's arms. "Next time you see your brother, ask him about Eddie and read his mind! But until you do that, you should not blame Eric for doing his job while your own brother has done the exact same thing just for the fun of it!"

Sookie was gaping at me like a fish, her mouth opening and closing. Bill finally looked up at us. "Is this true, Eric?" he asked, his expression oddly blank. Eric nodded, and Bill quickly stared at the floor. When Sookie looked like she wanted to say more, Bill squeezed her arm. "Enough, Sookie."

"Enough?" Sookie demanded, glaring at her boyfriend. "This isn't nearly enough."

Bill glared at her. "If it's true what they are saying, and your brother did indeed kidnap and harm a vampire, there is nothing I can do to protect him. Eric would be well within his rights to punish him."

Sookie inhaled a sharp breath and tried to struggle to her feet, but Bill kept her seated on the floor. "You are all crazy, you know that? You can't just hurt people like that! I'm going to the police!"

At once, all of us vampires growled. Even Bill bared his fangs at Sookie, who gulped and finally seemed to understand she was in a very dangerous position.

"Sookie, you will not go to the police," Bill said, his voice like steel. "If you do, I cannot protect you from the wrath of every vampire in this state."

"But..." Sookie stared down at her hands. It looked like she'd finally realized that vampire society was nothing like human society That even her precious Bill was bound by its rules and regulations, and that the only thing she could do was accept it or be killed. "But Bill, I can't just let Lafayette suffer like this."

"I'm willing to negotiate Lafayette's release," Eric said in a surprisingly reasonable voice. "He's been punished for his crimes, and for the right price I'd be willing to let him go."

I had to bite my lip to keep from grinning. That sneaky bastard! He was already planning on letting Lafayette go to help with selling V for the Queen, but he couldn't just help himself; he had to squeeze a little more out of the situation.

"Name your price," Bill said, as he pushed himself up from the floor, pulling Sookie with him.

"Your human will work for me whenever I want, without complaint. She already promised me that as long as I didn't kill any humans, but that condition is now off the table."

"No!" Sookie said, staring at Eric in horror. "I will not help you hurt more people!"

"Sookie," Bill said, his voice becoming tight with anger.

But Sookie wouldn't be silenced this time. She gave Bill a meaningful look and gestured at me. "She bit me. But I'm yours, so she's not allowed to do that, is she?"

Oh, smart girl. I felt some admiration for Sookie's quick thinking, before I remembered I was pissed off at her.

Bill frowned, and then looked up at Eric with a sly smile. "Yes, Eric. Your child fed on my human without my consent. What are we going to do about that?"

Eric threw his head back and laughed heartily, as though Bill had just told him the funniest joke he'd ever heard. "Nice try, Bill. But you know as well as I do my child was merely protecting her maker, as is her right." Eric looked at Bill, and when Bill didn't seem to back down at once, Eric pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "But if you aren't convinced by my ruling, perhaps we should set up an appointment with the Magistrate. We'll even take Sookie with us as a material witness. And then you can explain to the Magistrate why you allowed Sookie to assault your Sheriff, and how much Sookie would like to report all of us to the human police."

"Stop," Bill said, and now he sounded resigned. "That won't be necessary."

Eric tucked his phone back into his pocket with a satisfied smirk, and I couldn't stop myself from giggling.

Sookie seemed confused, and looked from Eric to Bill. "No, Bill, let's take this before this Magistrate, so I can testify what Eric's doing to - "

"Sookie!" Bill sounded rather desperate now, and once again I marvelled at Sookie's complete ignorance. Did she really not understand how vampire society worked? Like the Magistrate would care about Eric punishing humans. Heck, he'd probably give Eric a ribbon for a job well done.

"We'll take the deal," Bill said with a nod to Eric. Sookie opened her mouth to protest, but Bill grabbed her shoulders and shook her, hard. "This is the only way, Sookie, or Eric will kill Lafayette and bring in your brother for punishment, and there will be nothing I can do to stop him."

Sookie looked at the floor while more tears slipped down her cheeks. In a way, I felt sorry for her. Her entire world had just been turned upside down, and now she had to face the fact that not everything was good and right, and that most things weren't black and white, but just different shades of grey. It must be painful to have your illusions of a perfect world shattered like that.

But I didn't linger on those thoughts too long. I was a vampire now, and even though my conscience sometimes still objected to what vampires did, there was nothing I could do to change that. So I accepted it as best as I could. And now Sookie was forced to do that as well. No matter if she stayed with Bill or not, she was now indebted to Eric for the rest of her life, and he'd force her to work for him whether she liked it or not. Such was the way of the vampire.

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement," Eric said in a saccharine voice, smiling at Sookie. "Wait here, while Turid and I retrieve the human." And with that he tugged me along with him towards the back of the bar. The second we stood in the dark hallway, he crushed his lips to mine. I knew what he was doing; he wanted to taste Sookie's blood.

Eric moaned against my lips and pressed me against the wall. He swiped his tongue up and down my chin, licking up every stray drop of Sookie's blood. I rocked my hips against him, arousal growing inside me at an alarming speed. This was part of the whole vampire package. I'd just feasted on the most delicious blood I'd ever tasted, and now my body wanted to be sated in a different way.

Kissing me deeply, Eric pushed up my dress and ripped my panties off. I wrapped my arms around his neck while Eric yanked his pants down, and with one thrust of his hips our bodies joined. We moved together fast and hard, Eric pressing me back against the wall as he drove inside of me. I held onto him as tightly as I could while our mouths devoured each other.

I cried out when my climax hit me, my body clenching around Eric's. Bill could probably hear exactly what we were doing, but I didn't care. All I cared about was Eric and the way he always knew exactly how to fulfil my every need, my every desire. Eric pounded inside me and sank his fangs inside my throat as he came with a grunt. He lapped at my blood as his body stilled, and he released a satisfied groan, which made me giggle.

Eric pulled his head back and grinned at me. I knew exactly what he was thinking, because I was thinking the same thing. Sookie's blood was _sweet. _

"She isn't human, is she?" I asked as Eric gently pulled out of me.

"Mostly human, but there's something else there, too." Eric put his clothes back to rights, while I smoothed my dress down. I had some spare panties in my purse (I'd taken Pam's advice), but I didn't want to put them on just yet. I liked the idea of feeling and smelling Eric's seed seeping between my thighs, at least for a while. Once the bar opened, I'd clean myself up.

"Any idea what?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.

"No, I'm not sure." Eric grabbed my hand and together we entered the basement where Lafayette was waiting for us.

"Hi," I said to him, and Lafayette looked up at us with fear in his eyes. "We're letting you go," I quickly added, to put his mind at ease. "But I need something from you first." And with that, I grabbed as much of his short hair as I could between my fingers and pulled.

"Ouch, bitch!" Lafayette rubbed a hand across his scalp and gave me an annoyed look.

"Don't be such a baby. You're getting out of here, after all," I said cheerfully. I put Lafayette's hairs in the little side pocket of my purse while Eric unlocked the collar around his neck.

"Yeah, right," Lafayette said as Eric grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet.

"No, really," I said, and smiled at him. Lafayette stayed silent while we made our way back to the bar. He probably thought we were taking him out back to kill him or something. Poor guy.

"Lafayette!" Sookie cried out once she saw him. She hurried towards him and gave him a big hug.

Lafayette glanced at me, and I giggled. "Told you so."

Bill nodded at Eric, and quickly gestured at Sookie and Lafayette to follow him. Eric and I watched them go quietly, and once the door closed behind them we grinned at each other.

"You sneaky bastard," I said fondly, and Eric beamed at me. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you."

"Never pass up an opportunity for personal gain," Eric said and waggled his eyebrows. It made me giggle. "We will visit Lafayette tomorrow to finish the deal."

I nodded and grabbed his hand as we strolled towards the office. The bar would open to the public in half an hour, and the backdoor opened to signal the arrival of the first waitresses. Inside the office, I lounged on the couch and sipped a True Blood while Eric sat behind his desk and answered a few emails.

"I should bring my laptop with me tomorrow," I said as I watched Eric work. "So I can start on the blog, which I should have done days ago."

"There's no hurry," Eric said vaguely, his eyes focussed on the computer screen. "You've been busy with other things."

"True. But you've hired me to do that job, right?"

Eric gave me an amused smile and opened a drawer. He pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to me. I got up from the couch and snatched it from his fingers to look it over. It was an employment form. I grinned at him and pulled a chair up to his desk so I could fill the form out.

"It is still what you want, yes?" Eric asked, observing me as I wrote down my personal information.

"Yes, it is, my darling boss."

Eric chuckled and went back to his own work. He did tell me what address to fill out (not the one of our regular home, but one of his other safe houses). I noticed in the fine print that all fulltime employees got full health benefits, including a dental plan.

"Do vampires ever go to the dentist?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Vampires don't get cavities," Eric said without looking away from the computer screen. "As long as you brush your teeth regularly, they'll last forever."

I was very pleased to hear this. I'd never liked the dentist much, but then again, who did? "And if I lose a tooth? Then what happens?"

"It'll grow back. It's painful and it will take a few weeks, but you'll get it back."

"Cool," I said happily, which made Eric chuckle. I signed the employee form, and Eric added his own autograph with a flourish. Then he opened a drawer and pulled out another form, which he handed to me.

"You should probably register with the American Vampire League while you're at it," he said, as I looked the form over. The questions on it were different, save for the personal information: When was I brought over, who was my maker, how old was I when I was brought over.

"Do I have to do this?" I asked, wondering why these other vampires needed to know every detail of my life.

"Yes," Eric said with a stern look. "They will also register you with the human government. This is required. If you do not, you will not legally exist."

I sighed and set to work filling the new form out. Answering all these questions made me think about my new life as a vampire, about the similarities and the differences with my old life as a human. And that inevitably led me to think about the events earlier that evening. With the bloodlust gone and my other desires sated, I was able to look at everything a little more objectively, and with a jolt I realized I'd probably just lost the only friend I'd made here so far.

Eric must have sensed my sudden distress because he looked at me with a frown.

"Sookie's gonna hate me," I said helplessly, laying my pen down and leaning back in my chair.

"Turid, my dear child, you must not worry about a human," Eric said, reaching over to grab my hand. "You are a vampire now. It matters not what one human thinks of you."

"She thinks I'm a monster, that's what," I grumbled.

"She is an ignorant child, who wouldn't know a real monster if she saw it," Eric said vehemently. "She is also reckless, which will likely get her killed. She ran into the woods at night without realizing the dangers, and she hit a vampire without even thinking of the consequences. She will likely not live very long. The less you concern yourself with her, the better."

I gave Eric a dubious look. I agreed with his assessment of Sookie on some level, but other parts of me, my human parts most likely, were just sad I'd alienated a friend. I sighed deeply. "I'm not sorry I stood up for you, Eric," I said, because I wanted him to understand that. "It's just...Sookie's not going to understand why I had to do that."

"Exactly," Eric said with a firm nod. "And that's why you should not concern yourself with her."

Looking down at the form in front of me, I decided not to argue Eric on this further. I didn't even know what arguments to use in this case. Eric was right. I was a vampire now. Maybe I should not concern myself with one little human. But I'd been human myself my whole life. Just cutting them out of my life was difficult. I finished my registration form for the AVL and signed it. Eric stuffed it in a pre-printed envelope and added it to his outgoing mail.

"Let's get something to eat," Eric said as he rose from his seat. "Unless you're not hungry after your little snack earlier?"

"Nah," I said and got up as well. "I can eat." I wasn't really that hungry, but I hoped it would keep my mind of things and help remind me that I was a vampire indeed.

We glamoured two young female fangbangers, though they hardly needed glamouring, they were so enthusiastic when Eric spoke to them. But to avoid any disappointments on their part (it was very clear what they hoped Eric would do to them), we wiped their minds anyway after we'd fed on them in the office. I made a pit-stop in the bathroom to clean myself up and finally put on my spare panties, and then Eric and I spent the rest of the evening sitting on the stage, observing the crowd.

After the bar closed we went home and I wrote a long letter to Godric, pouring all my doubts and insecurities about my new lifestyle and instincts out on the paper. Eric read the letter, but didn't comment on it. He just gave me a hard kiss and guided me to the bedroom where he managed to take my mind of things right up until the sun rose.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"So I guess this means the honeymoon is over?" I asked Eric the following evening as I stared at the heap of dirty laundry.

Eric laughed and smacked my butt.

As it turned out, vampires are so paranoid about their daytime resting places, they do not often hire maids to do their cleaning for them. They take care of that themselves, or in the case of a vampire like Eric, they have their child do it for them.

"Pam has decided it is now your job," Eric said with a grin and tried to smack my butt again, but I jumped out of reach. "And I agree with her."

That Pam.

It wasn't that I minded doing laundry or vacuuming the bedroom. I'd done that all my life. It was that Eric expected it of me without lifting a finger himself that irked me. But what was I, little modern woman that I was, going to do against my 1000 year old master with his old-fashioned views of the world?

I decided to save that battle for another day, so with a grumble I sorted the laundry and started a load in the laundry room on the first floor, while Eric relaxed behind his desk in his office. I vacuumed the living room, the bedroom and his office (and I made sure to bug him as much as I could by asking him to move out of the way three times), and I changed the sheets on the bed. That left me with some dusting and cleaning the bathroom, but I decided I could do that the next night. Since we hardly spent any time in the above ground section of the house, it wasn't in need of any cleaning yet.

I collected the few items of clothing that needed dry cleaning and put them in the living room upstairs where Eric's day guy Bobby could find them, and by that time my first load of laundry was done, so I filled up the dryer and started a new load.

Who knew being a vampire could be so mundane at times?

Eric had observed me with interest as I went about my tasks. I was dressed, as per his request, in lingerie, though it was a modest set: a burgundy lacy bra and matching string.

"You should probably dust my bookshelves," Eric said once I joined him in his office.

"I wanted to do all the dusting tomorrow," I said as I heated myself a bottle of blood in the microwave.

"No, I really think you should dust them right now." There was something in Eric's voice that made me look up, and I noticed the hungry expression on his face.

Oooh. It seemed that my vampire wanted to play.

Despite my earlier foul mood, I couldn't deny my own interest in a little playtime, so I flipped my long hair over my shoulder and offered him a coy smile. "I think you're right. Your shelves look awfully dusty."

I retrieved a cleaning cloth with vampire speed and then sauntered back inside his office, shaking out the cloth a few times. "I'll start with the high shelves," I said, and stretched myself out as far as I could. I looked over my shoulder at Eric, and since he was sitting naked behind his desk I could see he _really_ liked the view. "I can hardly reach them," I said in mock disappointment. "Perhaps I should do the low shelves instead."

And with my back turned to Eric, I bent over as far as I could.

Eric pounced and tackled me to the floor. I shrieked with laughter as Eric flipped me over onto my back and yanked the cups of my bra down so he could suck a nipple into his mouth. Moaning, I buried my hands in his hair and held him against my breast. Eric reached a hand between my legs, pulled my panties aside, and drove his hard cock inside me. I groaned and spread my legs wider so Eric could thrust into me again and again.

"Am I interrupting something?" came an all too familiar voice from the doorway.

Both Eric and I looked up in shock.

There, with a small duffle bag at his feet, stood Godric.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: Oooh, surprise! I wasn't planning on bringing Godric back so soon, but as I was writing the previous chapter, I realized Godric would not sit back and relax while there might be a potential demon on the loose in Louisiana, threatening his little witch and his child. He'd want in on the action. So here he is, coming to visit. Now we have to see how it's all going to work out for the three of them. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think of Godric's surprise! Your reviews keep me writing!**


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"My child, you disappoint me," Godric said with a pleasant smile. "That I could enter this far into your lair without you noticing it."

"I gave you the security codes last week," Eric said, slightly affronted. He was still lying on top of me, buried deep inside me. "Besides, I was a little bit...distracted."

"Yes, I can see that," Godric said, and now he locked eyes with me and his smile grew. I just stared at him. I couldn't believe Godric was here. I was sure I was dreaming, but vampires didn't dream. "I can also see that you two are getting along well. This pleases me."

Eric didn't move. He just stared at Godric in a peculiar way and it was starting to get awkward. I pushed a hand against Eric's shoulder so he would move. Eric still didn't budge.

"Eric," I whispered. "Get up."

Finally, Eric pulled out of me and rose to his feet. I pushed myself up and looked at Godric, vaguely aware I was standing there in my lingerie with my breasts hanging out of my bra.

"My dear heart," Godric said, and that was all I needed to hear. I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. I buried my face in his hair and inhaled.

_Godric_.

I inhaled again and again, and then kissed his throat, his jaw, his cheek and finally his mouth. Godric smiled against my lips and kissed me back, sliding his tongue inside my mouth and I moaned at the familiar taste of him. Godric rubbed his hands down my back and over my thighs. "Did you miss me?" he asked in between kisses.

"Yes," I said, pressing closer in his embrace. "So much."

"I have missed you, too." Godric brought one hand up between our bodies and trailed his fingers down my breast. "I have thought of you every day."

"I will leave you to your reunion," Eric said, and there was something odd about his voice. He pushed past us out the office. I stared after him in confusion. Where was he going?

"Wait!" I yelled, because I didn't want Eric to leave. Eric stopped in the middle of the hallway, but he didn't turn around. "Where are you going?"

"I assumed you wanted to spend some time with your..._boyfriend_," Eric said, and now his voice was impassive.

I looked down at Godric and then back at Eric. Was Eric being jealous? But he'd said he was all right with me being with Godric. Just like Godric had said he was all right with me being with Eric.

"Yes," I said pointedly. "I want to spend time with my boyfriend. Thing is, I have two. And I don't want to have to chose between them."

Godric chuckled quietly and carefully lowered me to my feet. I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me into the hallway. Eric still hadn't turned around, so I grabbed his hand as well.

"How about you come and finish what we were doing when we were interrupted," I whispered, and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Finally Eric looked at me over his shoulder and his face broke out in a brilliant grin.

"Lead the way," he said, and I pulled both my boyfriends into the bedroom. That was all the control Eric was willing to give me, because once we neared the bed, Eric grabbed me around the waist and tossed me onto the bed. I landed with a little bounce and giggled. Eric and Godric shared a look, and Godric gave Eric a tiny nod, which was all the approval Eric needed. He crawled up the bed until he was hovering over me.

"I will watch," Godric said, pulling his shirt over his head. "For now." He kicked off his shoes and lowered his pants, and then he sat on the bed beside us naked.

"Eric," I whispered, as Eric pressed kisses down my throat. "Will you lick me?"

Eric growled and moved lower and lower down my body, leaving kisses in his wake. He paid a little extra attention to my breasts, of course, laving at my nipples and teasing them with little nips, but finally he made it to my centre. He pushed my panties aside, spread my folds with his fingers and flicked his tongue across my swollen clit.

I moaned, long and loud, and looked over at Godric. He was watching us with a small smile on his face. There was something very exhilarating about Godric watching us like this. Of course, he'd seen Eric and me together before, but that had been under far more frenzied circumstances and I'd hardly realized it. Now, I was perfectly aware of it, and it aroused me more than I thought it might.

Eric sucked at my clit and slid two fingers inside me. I bucked my hips up and placed one hand on his head, trailing my fingers through his hair. I reached out my other hand to Godric and he caught it with his own. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my palm, and then he lowered my hand to his erection. I grinned and started stroking him in time with Eric's fingers as they moved in and out of me.

"This is so good," I breathed, as Eric brought me closer and closer, and I rocked my hips against Eric's mouth, pressing my clit against his tongue. I exploded into orgasm with a sharp cry, my body shuddering. Eric didn't allow me time to come down from my pleasure, though. At once he kneeled between my spread legs, pulled me closer, and thrust inside me with a grunt. He looked down at me and grinned, his fangs glistening.

Godric shifted closer to me, bringing his hips near to my face. I knew what he wanted, but I wasn't sure how to do that while my fangs were out. And I couldn't just pop them back in. During this state of arousal, my fangs had a mind of their own.

"Just lick me," Godric said, apparently understanding my dilemma. Now, that I could do. I angled myself closer so my cheek was resting on his thigh, and I brought his erection down to my mouth. I licked him up and down and around the head, all the while pumping him with my hand. Godric leaned his head back, his eyelids fluttering.

Eric chuckled, and sped up his thrusts, causing me to lose my rhythm on Godric, and I giggled. I was pretty sure Eric did that on purpose, the bastard. And when Eric really went to town I was so overwhelmed I couldn't do much more than press my face against Godric's cock, but Godric didn't seem to mind. He stroked my hair with one hand and pinched my nipples with the other while I bucked back against Eric faster and faster.

I found my release again right before Eric came inside me with a groan. He shuddered against me and when his climax had passed, he looked down at me with a huge grin.

"Did you enjoy that?" Godric asked, as I pressed a kiss to his erection. I nodded. "What would you like to do next?"

I bit my lip, and got a naughty idea. A very wicked, naughty idea. I squirmed a little underneath Eric and then looked up at Godric with a nervous smile. "Could you two kiss?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow, and Godric threw his head back and laughed. And then he crooked his finger at Eric, motioning him to come closer. And while Eric was still buried inside me, they closed the distance right above me and their lips met in a searing kiss. But it didn't stop there. Eric parted his lips and Godric quickly deepened their kiss.

It had to be one of the hottest things I'd ever seen, and I gave Godric's erection a few licks as my body started throbbing with arousal all over again. They pulled back from each other and both looked down at me with amusement in their eyes.

"Like that?" Godric asked innocently.

"Yeah, that was pretty good," I said and giggled.

Eric snorted. "Pretty good?" He looked at Godric. "We're losing our touch." He gently pulled out of me and stretched out on my other side. "Perhaps you can make her see reason."

That was all the encouragement Godric needed, and he moved between my legs with vampire speed, pushing inside me at once. I groaned and arched my back while Eric squeezed my breasts and buried his face in my neck to lick my throat.

I'd missed Godric. I'd missed the feel of his body, the little sounds he made as he drove inside me, the way he looked at me when he was buried deep inside of me. I grabbed hold of his upper arms as he hovered above me, his hips moving faster, and I locked my eyes with his.

"Do you enjoy it when my maker fucks you?" Eric whispered in my ear, pinching my nipples at the same time. I groaned in response. "Do you enjoy feeling _his_ cock inside you?"

I gasped for breath. My goodness, was Eric trying to kill me? Somehow his dirty talk went straight to my sex and I clenched around Godric in sheer need. Godric thrust harder, and Eric lowered his hand and _pinched_ my clit. Just a soft little pinch, but still. I keened and thrashed against the sheets. Eric bit my throat while Godric leaned down and bit my breast, and my pleasure peaked violently. I cried out and worried my spine might snap as I arched off the bed and crashed back down.

Godric started groaning, and he drove inside me as deep as he could as he came, his gaze locked with mine. I smiled at him, my body still trembling from my release. Godric stilled and lapped up the blood on my breast as Eric licked at my throat.

"Holy crap," I whispered in awe, and that made both Godric and Eric chuckle. Godric pulled out of me and rolled beside me, and just like that I was pressed between two hard bodies, our legs lying together in a tangle while their hands roamed across my body.

A girl could get used to this!

I gave Godric a long kiss, and then turned my head and offered Eric the same. Then I lay back with a sigh and looked up at Godric. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, because I am...very happy, but why are you here?"

"That's a good question," Eric said, with just a hint of _something_ in his voice. I gently elbowed him in his ribs in response.

"The presence of an unknown creature here concerned me," Godric said with a patient smile. He seemed completely unfazed by Eric's strange attitude, and I was grateful for it. "So I decided to come for a visit to help you find it and kill it."

"Hm," Eric said with a frown. "Do you have any idea what this creature actually is?"

Godric shook his head. "There are a few possibilities, a demon being one of them. Or it might be something even I haven't heard of before. I'd like to see the scene of the attack."

"We can go there later," Eric said. "We have business in Bon Temps anyway."

Eric's cell phone rang, and Eric used vampire speed to retrieve it from his office. He stood in front of the bed, checked the display and held it to his ear.

"Your Majesty," he said, and Godric and I shared a curious look.

"Sheriff Northman," the Queen said. I could hear her loud and clear, thanks to my spiffy vampire hearing. "I heard your new child had a little incident last night?"

"I know of no such incident," Eric said easily. "Or are you referring to my child protecting her maker because Bill Compton's human had the audacity to assault me in my own bar?"

"Your child attacked something that belongs to me, Northman," the Queen said, and my eyebrows shot up. Since when did Sookie belong to the Queen?

"I was unaware Bill Compton's human belonged to you, Your Majesty," Eric said impassively. "But I assure you, the human was not badly hurt. She should already have made a full recovery."

"And then you went and threatened Compton with the Magistrate," the Queen said, and she sounded very displeased. "You've already brought him before that vile little monster once. I will not allow you to do it again."

"Your Majesty," Eric said with the patience of a saint. "Compton was unhappy with my ruling concerning the case of my child defending me. I merely suggested we take it up with the Magistrate instead. He refused and accepted my ruling in the end."

"What you must understand, Sheriff Northman, is that Bill Compton is working on a little something for me. So let me make this very clear to you. If your new child displeases Compton one more time, I will punish her myself, is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eric said through gritted teeth while I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Tell me, how is my little project going that I assigned to you?"

"We should have it up and running later tonight," Eric said, again sounding impassive.

"Good. Have a nice night, Sheriff."

"You, too, Your Majesty." And with that, Eric shut his phone and threw it against the wall with a growl. It shattered into a thousand pieces.

"What the fuck was that about?" I asked, looking from Eric to Godric and back. Godric was frowning and Eric paced in front of the bed.

"It means Compton can't keep his mouth shut and believes he can challenge my authority by going to the Queen," Eric snarled.

"Tell me about this incident," Godric said, and Eric finally sat down on the bed and recounted the tale of me pouncing on Sookie.

"Turid was in her right to protect her maker," Godric said once Eric was finished. "Why would Compton take this all the way to the Queen, especially if his human was not badly hurt?"

"Because he's an obsessed fool! When it comes to his human, Compton simply cannot see reason," Eric said, his eyes narrowed to slits. "But he will not get away with this. He will pay for having brought this to the attention of that bitch. He will pay for risking the well-being of my child!"

"You cannot take this out on Compton directly," Godric said. "Or your Queen will take it out on our witch, and we cannot allow that to happen."

"You're right," Eric said, and buried his face in his hands. He sat like that for a while, and I crawled a little closer to Godric. I did not like the idea of being punished by the Queen, or by anyone for that matter. Finally, Eric raised his head and looked at us, a very nasty little smile playing around his lips. "I can't take it out on Compton, but his maker can. And even the Queen cannot interfere with that. A maker has full control when it comes to punishing their child, after all."

Godric started laughing, and after they shared a very satisfied grin, Eric got up from the bed.

"I have a quick phone call to make." Eric strolled into his office, and a few minutes later we heard his side of the conversation.

"Lorena, this is Eric Northman, Sheriff of Louisiana area five...I'm calling about your child, Bill Compton...he's making quite a fool of himself these days...he's in love with a human girl...yes, I know, it's preposterous...he's even killed a vampire for her...yes, simply appalling...he's making us all look bad...certainly I know where he resides...in Bon Temps, in the old Compton house...no, I require nothing in return...I would appreciate it if you did not mention my name in this matter...I'm just glad to help...yes, such behaviour should be discouraged by any means possible...good luck, Lorena."

Eric sauntered back into the bedroom, looking like he'd just won the lottery. "Lorena assured me she will make her child see reason. She's quite disappointed in him."

Godric chuckled while Eric crawled up the bed and gave me a long, hard kiss. I smiled at him and pressed myself against him as he wrapped an arm around me.

"There is of course the chance Lorena will take this out on Compton's human as well," Godric said with a tilt of his head.

"Let her. That telepath is far more trouble than she's worth," Eric said with a hard look at Godric.

"That is too bad. Telepaths can be so useful. Ah well. Better to keep our little witch safe." Godric gave me a soft kiss, and even though I felt a pang of worry for Sookie, I relaxed between my lovers, knowing I would be safe. If I had to choose between myself and Sookie, I'd pick me. I liked Sookie, but not enough to offer myself up for punishment at the hands of the Queen. Besides, it had been her own choice to get involved with a vampire, and if that vampire still had a maker, that was something Sookie would just have to deal with. Even though I doubted Bill had ever mentioned his maker to her.

"There is something you should know about our little witch," Eric said, his tone suddenly serious. "She has a very curious talent, as we've discovered."

Godric propped himself up on his elbow. "And what is this talent?"

"She can glamour vampires," Eric said, and I took in Godric's response quietly. Godric's expression stayed blank for all of three seconds and then morphed into shock, his eyes widening as his mouth opened.

"None can know of this," Godric said urgently, grabbing my hand and squeezing it.

"We had already figured that out, thank you, master," Eric said dryly.

"This is no joke," Godric snarled, and I raised myself up a bit and placed my hand on Godric's cheek.

"Please calm down," I said, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Eric and I have already been through all this and trust me, it was no picnic."

Godric relaxed a bit and nodded. "Then I assume only the three of us know about this?"

"You assume correctly," Eric said. "Turid knows what's at stake."

"Good. How did you discover you have this talent?" Godric asked, his voice now merely curious. So I told him about Jessica, although Godric already knew most of the story from my letters, and Eric joined in and told Godric about the Queens job for him. When Godric heard about us having to sell vampire blood for the queen he growled and muttered a few curses, but he understood there was nothing we could do about it at that time.

"I agree it is a good lesson for you, Turid, to give your blood to a human," Godric said, and I tried not to look too displeased. As Eric had told him about our plans for Lafayette, a tiny part of me had hoped Godric would object. But sadly, this was not the case and I resigned myself to the fact I'd be giving my blood to Lafayette later. I just didn't know what to expect, and that worried me more than anything. What would it be like to be able to sense someone else's emotions? Would I be able to tune it out, or would I be stuck feeling everything all the time?

"This is an important part of being a vampire," Godric said to me with a reassuring look. As usual, he'd sensed my distress. "You will be fine. I suggest we get this over with as soon as possible, to lessen your child's worries," he added to Eric.

"That is fine by me," Eric said. "Let's get dressed and get going."

"No shower?" I asked, seeing as I definitely needed one. Both Godric and Eric gave me a negative look and I sighed. What was it with these two vampires and their need to smell their semen in me whenever they had shared me? Not that I didn't like the idea of smelling their scents on myself so strongly, but this was getting just a little bit weird.

I decided not to ponder on that too long, though. There was too much going on in my life right now to get stuck on the small details. We dressed quickly, and I wore a pair of jeans and a tank top since Eric made it clear we'd be flying. It was a lot quicker than travelling by car, and apparently Eric had more plans for the three of us later and he didn't want to waste any time.

Once we stepped out into Eric's backyard, both vampires offered me their backs and looked at me expectantly.

I sighed. "How about I fly with Eric on the way there, and with Godric on the way home, okay?" My goodness, no one had told me that having two boyfriends required you to be a frigging diplomat. Eric beamed at me, apparently approving with my suggestion, but then again, Godric didn't seem displeased either. I climbed on Eric's back and at once we were off at a breakneck speed, Godric flying right beside us.

I buried my face in the crook of Eric's neck and enjoyed the sensation as much as I could. We made it to Bon Temps in no time, and Eric put us down in front of a small house. Or, as Eric called it while he looked it over: a strange plywood hut.

Yes, I'd seen better housing in my day, but who was I to judge a man by his house?

Eric knocked on the front door, but when no answer came, Godric tilted his head and said, "I do not believe there are any humans in this hut."

"How do you know?" I asked him curiously.

"I cannot hear any heartbeats," Godric explained.

"You could hear a heartbeat all the way from here?" I asked, astonished. I knew vampire hearing was good, but this good?

"You could, too, if you focused," Eric said and gave me a cheeky grin. "That will be another lesson."

I huffed. "I'd rather you teach me how to fly," I said, thinking that was a far more useful thing to learn. Plus, it would keep the strange feud between my two vampires down to a minimum.

Both Eric and Godric started laughing, as though I'd just told them something amazingly funny. I stared at them and put my hands in my side, tapping my foot on the ground. "What's so funny?"

"Flying comes with age," Eric said, sharing an amused look with Godric. "It's something we cannot teach you. Either it happens, or it doesn't."

"How old were you when you got your mad flying skills?" I asked Eric curiously.

"My child was just over 200 when he flew for the first time," Godric said with a fond smile. "And he'd been just as impatient as you are now to learn it."

"Aww, really?" My shoulders were heavy with disappointment. "I have to wait two whole centuries?" And they both started laughing again, the bastards. I stared up at a nearby tree, ignoring them pointedly. "So what do we do now?" I asked, hoping that would snap them out of it.

"Now we go to Merlotte's," Eric said, still grinning madly. "This human holds a job in the kitchen there." And he offered me his back. I climbed on, and at once we were off. It only took a few minutes and then we landed in the parking lot of Merlotte's. It was empty, yet there was still light on in the bar.

We walked inside, to find the bar empty as well.

"This is weird," I said, as we looked around. Just then, Sam came walking into the bar from the back and glared at us.

"Were is everybody?" I asked, trying to sound polite.

"What business is that of yours?" Sam replied, crossing his arms.

I zipped up to him and stared him deep in his eyes. I was in no mood to play twenty questions with a cranky shifter, so I pushed my power into his mind. "Tell us where everyone is."

Sam's eyes glazed over just a bit. "Maryann is throwing Tara a birthday party at Sookie's house. I think the whole town is there."

"Who the hell is Maryann?" I asked, and Sam shifted his gaze left and right and up and down, but he didn't answer my question.

"What is Maryann?" Godric asked from behind me, and now Sam started trembling.

"She's dangerous. I think she's come for me, after all these years," Sam said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Explain yourself," Eric said, as he and Godric stepped closer. And so Sam did. He told us about how he'd met Maryann, what they'd done together and how he'd stolen from her.

"I tried to give her back her money, but she refused it. And now she won't leave," Sam said as he finished his story.

I shared a worried look with Eric and Godric. "And Lafayette," I asked, pushing just a bit more power into Sam's mind. "Is he at this party as well?"

Sam shrugged. "Tara's his cousin. I'm sure he's there."

"All right," I said, pulling my power back. "Thank you, Sam." And before Sam could realize he'd just been glamoured, we walked out of the bar.

"Let's go check out this party," Eric said and offered me his back. I hesitated. Was it really such a good idea to crash a party thrown by an unknown magical creature?

"We will observe the party from a distance," Godric said, stroking his hand down my arm. "Until we are sure what we're dealing with."

I nodded and climbed on Eric's back, and just minutes later we landed in the woods around Sookie's house. We stood just behind the tree line, and thanks to our excellent eyesight we didn't have to move closer to see what was going on. The place was packed, with more and more people arriving. We even saw Sam join in the fun at some point.

It looked like a really successful party, but something wasn't right. I sniffed the air. "The scent's all wrong, isn't it?" I asked quietly.

Godric nodded, while Eric said, "Whatever it is, it's not human."

We saw Lafayette at some point, but Eric gave me a look that clearly said now was not the time to go ahead with our plan. And we saw Bill, Sookie and Jessica leave some time later. From what I could understand of Sookie's conversation with Tara, as they said goodbye, Sookie would be spending the night at Bill's, so Tara could enjoy the rest of her birthday party.

And then Maryann stepped outside, and as one all three of us crouched down. It wasn't a conscious decision on my part; it was just pure instinct. Whatever she was, she wasn't human and thus she was a potential threat. I studied her aura, but it looked like nothing I'd ever seen before. There was magic there, most definitely, but not any magic I was familiar with. Eric and Godric were quietly sniffing the air as Maryann walked around the partygoers. And the more she moved, the wilder the people became.

There was magic now, waves of magic, and I crouched down closer to the ground as Eric and Godric went rigid beside me. They could feel it, too. Whatever Maryann was doing, she was controlling these humans, and before long the whole party turned into a full-blown orgy. I wrinkled my nose. Smelling dozens of drunk humans having sex isn't something I'd recommend anyone do. It smelled just awful. Eric and Godric both kept blank faces as we observed the orgy, and finally Eric tugged on my hand and we turned and moved further into the woods.

"We will discuss this at home," Eric said, and shot up into the air. I quickly climbed onto Godric's back, and we flew up after Eric. My mind was in turmoil during our journey home. What the hell had we just seen? Was Maryann controlling the demon that had attacked Sookie? Or was Maryann the demon that had attacked Sookie?

Godric pulled out his phone the moment we entered Eric's living room.

"Gerald, I need you to go to my library and collect a few titles for me," Godric said, and summed up a whole list of ancient sounding book titles in several languages. "I need them delivered to Fangtasia in Shreveport tomorrow evening. There can be no delays." He shut his phone and looked at us with a frown. "I'm not sure yet what this Maryann is, but I'm beginning to get an idea. She is old and she is powerful. We will know more tomorrow."

I was about to open my mouth to ask Godric to explain himself further, but Godric grabbed my hand and looked at Eric. "My child, I'm sure you have some work to do still. I will take our little witch for a walk around the yard to take her mind off things."

Eric looked like he wanted to protest for a moment; the corner of his mouth twitched a few times. But then he nodded and made his way to his office, the set of his shoulders looking just a bit too tense to be comfortable.

Godric gave me a soft kiss and tugged me along with him outside. We walked across the lawn in silence and as we neared the trees in the back, I showed Godric where Eric had taught me to rest in the ground.

"Eric has told me you're doing very well in your lessons," Godric said, and I gave him a bright smile. "I'm very pleased you're adapting to your new life with so few problems."

"It's okay so far," I said with a shrug. "Some things are easy to accept. Other things are not so easy, but I'm okay."

"Good." Godric cupped my cheek with his hand and stared into my eyes. "Now, tell me, my dear heart. How long have you been in love with my child?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: Awww, our little Yoda notices everything, doesn't he? Poor Turid. How is she ever going to explain this? I should have the next chapter up by tomorrow, so then we'll know. Thanks for reading, everyone! And please let me know what you think of their reunion so far. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

I gasped for breath I didn't need and stared at Godric, my body going rigid with shock. Shame washed over me in ice-cold waves.

This was _Godric_; my love, my saviour, my rock.

And now he knew I had feelings for someone else? For _his child_? How was I ever going to explain myself? How was he ever going to accept this?

I couldn't explain it to him, because I couldn't even explain it to myself. But Godric apparently needed to know more, and what would he do if I couldn't tell him what was going on? Would he leave me? Would he go back to Dallas and never want to see me again?

I couldn't lose Godric. And I couldn't lose Eric. I loved them both, but I understood completely that neither one might want to accept that.

A bloody tear slipped down my cheek, and Godric leaned in and licked it away.

"Turid, my dearest, I did not mean to upset you," Godric whispered, his eyes full of concern. "Come," he said, and pulled me down. He seated us on the ground with our backs against an ancient oak, and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him a little, but I was still too worried he might get up and leave me forever to fully relax.

"We have always been honest with each other," Godric said, his lips brushing across my temple. "So I will be honest with you once more. Yes, I wanted you for myself. I have not had these kind of feelings for anyone in a very long time, or perhaps ever, and when I found you, I wanted you all to myself for the rest of eternity."

I glanced up at him in surprise. We'd never actually discussed my mortality while we'd been together before. But then again, I'd still been so young, and our relationship was so new, and there simply hadn't been time to discuss it.

"Yes, I had hopes you might one day let me turn you, so we could have eternity together," Godric said, looking at me with a small smile. "But I thought we would have plenty of time to talk about it, and I did not want to pressure you. And then you almost died and my child saved you. But the price of that was high."

I bit my lip as another tear slipped down my cheek.

"But not too high," Godric said quickly. "I would much rather have you in my life as Eric's child than not have you in my life at all."

I nodded, and more and more tears fell. I turned my face towards Godric and pressed it against his shoulder. Grief struck me with such force that I trembled. Grief for the life I'd lost, for the future with Godric that I'd lost, for all the many things that had changed so drastically over such a short time.

"I know it's only been a week or so since we were together," I said in between sobs. "But it feels like a lifetime."

"Yes," Godric agreed quietly. "It's been a long week."

"And everything's so...different. So much has happened I can hardly keep up. And there are all these things I have to learn and then I fell in love with Eric and I don't know how that happened." I looked up at Godric with bloody eyes. "I did not mean for that to happen, I swear. I love you."

"I know," Godric whispered, and touched his nose to mine in a gesture of affection. "But it is not unexpected that you have developed feelings for him. Your bond is so close. Much closer than my bond with my child has ever been." Godric gave me a teasing smile. "But what is unexpected is how you have charmed your way into my child's heart."

"Huh?" I looked at Godric with wide eyes.

"You have not noticed that Eric loves you?" Godric asked, and all I could do was gape at him. "I have never seen him like this with anyone before. He is possessive of you even around me." Godric chuckled quietly. "Yet I doubt he even realizes how he feels about you."

"But..." I felt I had to protest. Eric had given me no indication that he loved me. Yes, he cared for me, and protected me, and worshipped my body, and taught me everything I had to know, and desired only me, and - oh.

"You must understand, we are men from a different era," Godric said, and brushed a soft kiss across my lips. "It has taken me 2000 years to realize love doesn't have to be a weakness. But Eric, he is still..." Godric trailed off, as though looking for the right word.

"Emotionally constipated?" I offered.

Godric threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, that is exactly it. You must give him time to realize these feelings for himself. He's a stubborn one, and I fear trying to pressure him would only anger him."

I shrugged. "I can be patient." I looked at Godric again, now with hope in my heart. "So you're not mad?"

"Mad?" Godric shook his head and held me a little closer. "No, my dear heart. I'm not mad. Of course I wish things were different, but they aren't. And the only thing we can do is accept that and make the best of it. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," I said, relief flooding me. "I can do that. Can you?"

"Yes." Godric captured my lips in a searing kiss, and I melted in his embrace. I had missed this, him, so much. And as our kiss deepened, I knew we'd needed to have this talk badly, that we'd needed to have an opportunity to express our concerns, to grieve for the things we'd lost, and to find hope for a possible future for us.

"Things are never going to be the same again, are they?" I asked quietly, as Godric licked the tears from my cheeks.

"No. But they can still be good." Godric smiled at me and kissed me again. I clung to those words. We had both lost so much, but not everything. Whatever was left was still real and true and good.

We kissed for while, both just enjoying the closeness of each other, the memories of our time together, and the future that now looked just a little bit brighter.

I sensed Eric's approach, and I pulled back from Godric at once. My goodness, Eric must have felt all my emotions through our bond. Whatever had he been thinking was going on out here?

"Is everything all right?" Eric asked rather stiffly as he stood in front of us.

"Yeah, everything's good," I said, and shared a grin with Godric.

"Join us, my child," Godric said, and Eric lowered himself to the ground on my other side, giving me a closer look.

"Have you been crying?" Eric glared at Godric accusingly. "You have made her cry?"

"It's okay, Eric," I said and placed my hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. "We just had a lot to discuss." I leaned closer to Eric and gave him a kiss. Eric didn't respond at once, so I kissed him again until he finally returned it. I couldn't stop thinking about what Godric had told me, that Eric loved me. I trusted Godric's assessment of his own child, and it certainly explained Eric's funny behaviour, but still. It was a lot to take in. Especially because it seemed that Eric himself didn't have a clue what was going on in his own heart.

"We must discuss Turid's magic," Godric said, after I pulled back from Eric. "How it has changed since she was turned."

I sighed. "It's definitely changed, but I haven't had the time yet to examine it properly."

"Then you must make the time," Godric said, and he gave Eric a hard look. "You must allow her that time."

Eric looked affronted. "I haven't kept her from doing her magic."

"But you have not encouraged her, either," Godric said, his voice lowering. "You should have treated it like any other lesson."

Eric narrowed his eyes, his lips forming a thin line, and I realized this might very well turn into a real fight, so I quickly held up both my hands.

"Enough, please." I looked between both vampires. "Godric, you're right. I should take time to focus on my magic. But you must also understand I simply haven't had that time yet, and that's hardly Eric's fault. We've had a very trying week so far."

"Very well," Godric said, while Eric looked rather vindicated; he offered Godric a smug little smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Did Bobby bring the wiccan stuff I've ordered?"

"He did. It's in the upstairs living room waiting for you," Eric said, and gave me a questioning look. "You want to do this now?"

"Yep." I pushed myself up and turned to look down at Godric and Eric. "I'd like some time to myself now, if that's okay. So you two just have fun together for a while."

That got me some funny looks, and I giggled as I made my way back into the house. I got myself a bottle of AB-negative, and settled in the living room with my box of Wiccan goodies. I unpacked it slowly, taking my time to set my altar up, clearing my mind in the process.

Once everything was in place, I drank the last of my blood and kneeled in front of the altar. I lit the candles and the incense, and I inhaled the sweet scents for a few moments before I closed my eyes and started my prayers.

"Divine mother Goddess, beloved ancestors, I come to you this day as I have come to you before, with thanks and with love and with respect. I'm very grateful to you for the role you play in my life, for the guidance, the inspiration, the strength and the comfort you bring me, in all your many names and forms. I pray that you'll always be with me and that we'll go forward hand in hand, and that I'll never lose sight of you because I know you'll never lose sight of me. On this day I pray that you will send me healing energy, for my heart has need of it. I pray you'll send this healing energy to Godric and Eric as well, so they can use it in accordance with their own free will and for their own higher good. And I pray that you will guide me, will give me the knowledge I need so I can figure out what is going on with my magic. So mote it be."

I released a deep breath and kept my eyes closed, using the calmness I always felt after a prayer to clear my mind of any unnecessary thoughts until I could focus on the issue at hand. My magic had changed. And it had changed since I was turned. No, that wasn't true. It had changed months before, when the demon had pushed its power inside me. I just hadn't used the demon's power until -

I released another deep breath. Gabe. I had killed Gabe, and I had done it with power. With sheer power. And this power had come from deep inside me, deeper than I'd ever reached before.

It had been the demon's power, and it was time I acknowledged that now. And then I died and was turned into a vampire. And ever since then my magic was a little out of control. It was much stronger than it had ever been before. Willing a person to see reason came out as glamouring a vampire, and casting a charm to take pain away came out as a perfect healing. My magic, my power, had increased dramatically and the only way this was possible was -

I had to steady myself with a hand to the floor or else I would have toppled over under the weight of the realization of what was going on with my magic.

"Turid, are you all right?" Eric asked me from somewhere behind me. I sensed him there, and I smelled Godric beside him.

"Quiet, please!" I snapped, desperately focusing on what I'd just discovered.

Somehow, using the demon's powers to kill Gabe had unleashed those powers inside of me, had made them my own. My magic had increased tenfold, just like the demon had promised me it would.

"I know what happened to my magic," I whispered, and at once Eric and Godric were kneeling beside me. I slowly opened my eyes and glanced at them. "It's the demon's power. It's my own now. I can no longer tell it apart from my own magic. My power really has increased tenfold. That is why my spells go wonky."

Godric reached for my hand. "But that power has always been yours. You just didn't want to acknowledge it."

I shook my head, and tears dripped down my eyes. Gosh, this really was turning out to be a weepy night.

"So, you practice," Eric said, ever the practical guy. He took my other hand. "You just practice until you've got these new powers under control."

"I never wanted this. I still don't want it."

"Ssh," Eric said and kissed my cheek, licking up a stray tear. "It's no use crying over spilled blood."

That made me giggle. "I think that's supposed to be milk, Eric. Spilled milk."

Eric shrugged. "I don't drink milk. But I can relate to spilled blood."

I giggled some more, until something occurred to me, and then I stared between Eric and Godric in horror. "If I lose control now...oh my goodness."

"Who says anything about you losing control," Eric said sternly.

"But the whole witch turned vampire thing," I said, my voice cracking with desperation. "What if I lose control? With this much power, who knows what would happen?"

"Turid, you must understand the circumstances of all those other witches turned vampires who lost control," Godric said patiently. "In all the cases I have ever heard of, those witches were turned for one reason only. To provide their makers with an endless supply of magic, whether the witches wanted to or not. So it's no wonder they lost control eventually, either because they rebelled against their maker, or because they got in so deep in dark magic they simply lost sight of who they were."

I swallowed, and Godric scooted a little closer and wrapped an arm around my waist. "And now look at the circumstances in which you were turned," Godric said, and nodded towards Eric. "Has your maker demanded you do constant magic for him?"

I thought about that, though the answer came quickly. Eric hadn't asked me to do any magic for him yet, not even to ward his house. And Godric had only ever asked me to ward his properties, which were pretty basic charms. Useful, yes, but nothing out of the ordinary for an average witch.

I smiled and leaned closer to Godric, so I could whisper to him, as though Eric couldn't hear us. "I think Eric's more interested in my breasts than in my magic."

"Of course! They are so _nice_!" Eric said happily, while Godric doubled over with laughter. I felt much better, after having heard the circumstances of other witches turned vampires.

"Now do you understand?" Godric said, and I smiled at him. "All you have to do is practice your magic so you'll learn to control your new powers, and as long as you stay true to yourself you will be fine."

"Yes, Yoda," I said with a grin.

Godric frowned. "I do not understand why you compare me to a little green beast."

That did it. I rolled over against Eric, giggling madly, and all the tension I'd felt was gone instantly. "Been hitting google, have you, Godric?" I asked, and started giggling all over again.

Godric and Eric shared a confused look. "Yes," Godric said seriously. "I have googled this name, but then I saw pictures of a little green beast. It makes no sense."

"It's a very _wise_ little green beast," I offered. They both still looked confused. "Ah, come on. You can't tell me you've never seen Star Wars?"

"It's a movie," Eric said. "But I haven't seen it."

"Ah." Godric nodded. "I have not seen it, either."

"How can you both be frigging older than dirt and not have seen Star Wars? That's practically a crime!"

Eric shrugged and said, "I don't watch much TV." Godric nodded in agreement.

"Well, then. We're just going to have to remedy that. We're going to watch Star Wars. At the very least the original three movies." At their dubious looks, I added, "You'll enjoy them. It's got sword fighting. Well, sort of."

"We will watch these movies, but not tonight. Dawn is near," Eric said as he got to his feet. He offered me his hand and I accepted it. Dawn was already near? I had completely lost track of time. Then again, it had been a very weird night.

Once we were settled under the sheets, me lying very comfortably between Godric and Eric, something else occurred to me. "You haven't fed tonight," I said, glancing at Eric. "What with Fangtasia being closed."

"I do not require blood every night," Eric said, unconcerned, and then looked at me with a frown. "Have you had enough to eat tonight?"

"I've had some True Bloods," I said. I wasn't hungry. Not really. I did miss the taste of real blood, though. I really was a vampire, apparently. "But tomorrow, we can go and feed, right?"

Eric grinned and looked at Godric over my head. "She's got a very healthy appetite."

"Yes," Godric agreed with a smile. "She was the same as a human. She liked to eat large quantities."

"Hey," I said, and waved a hand between their faces. "I'm lying right here."

"We can see that," Eric said, giving me a brief glance before he looked back at Godric. "I admit, I was worried if she would adapt to feeding from humans, but she has taken to it without any problems."

"Turid is an intelligent woman," Godric said. "She knows when to accept the inevitable."

I sighed. At least they were speaking English, so I could actually understand what they were saying. Still, being ignored like this irked me a little, but before I could protest the sun rose, and I was out cold.

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When I came to the next night, I was not alone in bed.

"Good evening," Eric said, and immediately sucked my nipple into his mouth. "Hmm," he said, and nipped. "So much better than magic."

I wanted to say something, but instead I groaned, because Eric slipped two fingers inside me. I looked to my other side, but there was no one there. "Where's Godric?" I asked, and groaned again when Eric drove his fingers inside me as deep as he could.

"Ssh," Eric said, laving at my breasts. "It is my time now. My maker can have you later."

"Huh?" I said, and tried to figure out what the hell was going on, but Eric kept thrusting his fingers inside me and it was extremely distracting. I reached down and clamped my hand down around his wrist, stilling his fingers. "What is going on?"

Eric looked up at me and grinned. "Godric and I both have a need to have you to our own. So we have decided to divide your time between us."

I stared at him. "And you didn't think to discuss this with me first?"

"No," Eric said with a careless shrug. "This was the most logical solution to our situation." And with that, Eric shook off my hand and continued his gentle assault. I tried to protest some more, but now Eric started stroking his thumb across my clit and I had no defences against that kind of pleasure. Eric squeezed my breasts with his other hands and crushed his lips to mine.

"Sit on me," Eric said, after we had kissed for a while, and he grabbed me around the waist and rolled us over until I was doing exactly that. I rubbed my wet sex over his erection, my gaze locked with his. Eric's hands had found their way back to my breasts, and I threw my head back and moaned.

"Look at me!" Eric demanded, his voice strong with possessiveness. "Look at _me_."

I stared into his eyes and pushed up my hips, positioning him at my core. I sank down slowly. Eric bared his fangs and I groaned as he filled me to the hilt.

"You are mine," Eric growled, and bucked his hips up, startling another groan out of me. "No matter who you _love_," and he said the last word with some distaste, "you will always be mine."

I leaned forward, steadying myself with my hands on his chest, and rocked my hips as best as I could while Eric kept bucking up, driving inside me with such force I had trouble keeping my gaze locked with his. All I wanted to do was throw my head back and just let go, but Eric would have none of that. He held me tightly around my hips and drove into me with such force, over and over again, that by the time I came I wasn't even sure of my own name anymore.

"Bite me," Eric growled, pulling me down and pressing my face against his throat. "Feed on me."

I was still riding waves of pleasure and I hardly heard what he said, but as soon as my nose touched his throat and I smelled my maker's blood so close, my instincts took over and I bit down.

Eric cried out and slammed into me a few more times as he came inside me. He sank his fangs into my shoulder and sucked for a few moments until he pulled back with a ragged moan. I drank his blood until Eric gently pulled me away and kissed me. I sagged on top of him, and we kissed each other and Eric licked away all the blood around my mouth. He held me for a while, stroking my back and nuzzling my throat.

Finally, he rolled me off him with care, and I moaned as he pulled out of me. He gave me one last kiss and got up. Opening the bedroom door, he called out, "She's all yours," and disappeared out of sight.

I stared at the ceiling. Was Godric going to take his turn now? I looked down at my own body and sniffed. I smelled like Eric's blood and Eric's semen. I couldn't see my other boyfriend like this, so I scrambled out of bed and staggered towards the shower. Once I stood under the warm spray, I sighed and started washing myself quickly.

The shower door opened and Godric stood there, naked and ready. "May I join you?"

"Sure," I said, my voice hitching. Thankfully, I didn't have time to feel awkward for long, since Godric pressed me up against the shower wall and claimed my mouth with his own.

"I must confess," Godric whispered, as he trailed kisses down to my throat. "The sounds of you and Eric together are quite..._pleasing_." He pressed his erection against me to show me how pleasing, exactly. "I can hardly wait to be inside you, but first," and now he dropped to his knees, "I will taste you. It has been too long."

I automatically buried my fingers in his hair as he spread my folds and sucked at my clit. Because I'd come so recently the sensation was all the more intense. Godric licked and sucked me, adding a finger or two to the mix, until I cried out his name as I climaxed.

At once, Godric stood and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and bit my own tongue when Godric thrust inside of me.

"My dear heart," he breathed against my throat. "You will always be mine."

"Ugh," I said, in vague agreement. I held him tightly as he pounded inside me and it didn't take long before another orgasm swept through me, making me shudder in Godric's embrace.

"Bite me," Godric whispered into my ear. "Taste my blood."

I sank my fangs into his throat and moaned at the taste of him, so heady and powerful. Godric cried out and sped up his thrusts, and he bit my throat just as I pulled my head back. As he lapped up my blood he came, driving inside me once, twice, and then he stilled his hips and crushed his lips to mine.

I smiled as Godric gently put me down to my feet. I reached for the sponge, squeezed some of Eric's shower gel on it (my shower gel smelled of freesias, and I didn't think Godric would appreciate smelling like a bouquet all evening), and I started washing his body. I enjoyed doing this, with Eric, with Godric, it didn't matter. I just loved these simple acts of intimacy. Godric watched me quietly, stroking his hands across my body on occasion. After he was squeaky clean, I poured some of Eric's shampoo onto my palm and asked Godric to turn around.

Godric moaned and leaned his head back as I massaged my fingers across his scalp. "I have missed this," he whispered. "Your touch."

I hummed in agreement. I had missed doing this with him. I usually washed Eric whenever we shared a shower, but this wasn't Eric, this was Godric, and he was different. That was the whole issue, wasn't it? I couldn't possibly ever choose between them, because they were so different. They both offered me something the other could not.

I rinsed out Godric's hair and then Godric returned the favour. He washed my body with soft strokes and took his time massaging shampoo into my long hair. I enjoyed every second of it, the way his strong fingers touched me with such care.

Just as Godric had rinsed out my hair, the shower door opened and Eric stood there, his arms crossed. "Are you two done yet? We've got to get to Fangtasia and I need a shower."

I decided not to remind Eric there were two other bathrooms in the house upstairs he could easily use, but instead I shared a look and a smile with Godric. We stepped out of the shower so Eric could take his turn.

As I got ready for the evening, I thought about this strange game of possession my vampires were playing. It was clear they wanted to share me on some level, but on another level they were both quite determined to have me all to themselves. Oh well. Perhaps I shouldn't complain about it too much. I was reaping the benefits of it, after all, and they were such very nice benefits.

Eric and Godric observed me both with obvious interest as I selected a set of white, lacy lingerie, and I put on a little bit of a show as I pulled on the bra and panties, stretching out my legs a little more than was necessary, and touching my breasts softly to make sure the bra fit snugly. Smiling, I sauntered into the closet to select a dress, their gazes still glued to my body.

We all got dressed without any further possessive incidents, and before long we were seated in Eric's SUV. We talked about mundane things and it was comfortable enough. They both behaved themselves as well as could be expected. As we walked inside Fangtasia, Pam gave Godric a little nod, and I wondered how well they knew each other. Perhaps I could ask Godric later.

"Why don't you get us something to eat," Eric whispered into my ear. I nodded and scanned the crowd for our dinner. I was quite hungry now, not having had any True Blood yet, and soon enough I spotted a small gaggle of young women. As I strolled towards them, I looked at Eric and Godric over my shoulder. Eric was beaming with obvious pride and Godric was smiling with encouragement.

I glamoured three of the girls and led them back to the office.

"She's doing very well," Godric said, once we were standing inside Eric's office. Eric grinned and pulled one of the girls towards himself. I selected another girl, and Godric stepped up behind the third one. We kept staring at each other as our fangs snapped out and we bit down into our dinner.

I moaned at the taste of sweet, human blood, and drank as deeply as I could until I felt the girl's heartbeat slow down. I pulled back with some reluctance, but seeing Eric and Godric's proud smiles made up for that small loss.

Just as we glamoured the girls into forgetting our little dinner party, there were loud voices approaching the office.

"Put me down!" That was Sookie's voice. "I mean it, Jessica. Put me down, or I'll never forgive you!"

And with that the office door banged open and Jessica walked in. She had Sookie slung over her shoulder. Literally. Sookie was dressed in her Merlotte's outfit. Heck, she was still wearing her apron. And she was waving her arms and kicking her feet, but Jessica held on tightly.

Eric quickly sent the human girls on their way and sat down behind his desk. I shuffled closer to Godric, who pulled me down with him onto the couch. I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the sight before me.

"My maker has commanded me to bring Sookie to you, Eric," Jessica said firmly, and finally put Sookie down onto her own two feet.

Eric stared at her with a blank face. "And why would he do that?"

Jessica swallowed and once again looked like the young girl she still was. There was a slight tremor in her voice as she spoke. "Because the vampire Lorena, Bill's maker, has come to visit him and now he needs your help."

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**A/N: The image of Sookie slung over Jessica's shoulder has me in stitches. I hope you all enjoyed it, too! We'll see tomorrow what's going on with those two. Thanks so much for reading, everyone. And be sure to let me know what you think of these new turn of events. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Hm." Eric kept staring at Jessica, who squirmed and looked at the floor.

"What the hell is going on?" Sookie demanded. "Eric, you had better not have anything to do with this, or else - "

"Quiet," Eric snapped, and bared his fangs at Sookie. "I will remind you, Ms Stackhouse, that you are on my turf now, and that you will treat me with respect while you are here. Unless you have already forgotten what happened the last time you decided to disrespect me?"

Sookie glanced at me and gulped. I gave her my sweetest smile in return.

"Good," Eric said and leaned back in his chair. "Now, Jessica, explain yourself. What kind of help does your maker require of me?"

"Er...Bill worries Lorena might hurt Sookie - "

"Bill would never allow that," Sookie muttered, and all the vampires in the room released a consecutive sigh.

"So he asks that you revoke Lorena's right to visit your area," Jessica finished bravely.

"Lorena has broken no rules," Eric said reasonably. "She has a week to report her visit to me. If she fails to do that, then I will tell her to leave my area. But until that time, as long as she obeys our laws, there is nothing I can do."

"Oh," Jessica said, and then chewed on her lip, obviously unsure what else to say.

"What is going on?" Sookie asked, and I could tell she was trying very hard not to yell. "Can someone please explain this to me?"

"Certainly," Eric said with a pleasant smile. "Lorena is Bill's maker. They were lovers for many decades. They parted ways at some point, but from what Jessica tells us it appears she has come to visit him, as is her right. He is her child, after all."

Sookie paled and stared at her shoes. It appeared Bill had told her nothing about Lorena, especially not about the part of them having been lovers for so long. "So what happens now?" she asked softly.

"That is entirely up to Lorena," Eric said, and stretched out his arms and clasped his hands behind his head. I could tell through our bond he was really enjoying this conversation. "She is his maker, and thus she has absolute control over him. She might only stay a few nights to rekindle old passions, or she might decide to take him with her where ever she goes."

Sookie's mouth sank open. "But she can't do that!"

"Of course she can," Eric said and now he was grinning. "As I said, she is his maker, and her rights to her child are absolute. I can't do anything about that. Even the Queen herself has no authority over the bond between maker and child."

"But that is so unfair!" Sookie had started yelling again, and I growled underneath my breath.

"Sookie," I said, and Godric grabbed my hand and squeezed it, obviously having sensed my anger. "When are you going to realize that your boyfriend is not human? He's a vampire and thus he lives by vampire law, whether you like it or not."

"But -" Sookie's eyes grew wide in desperation and she looked at Godric. "Mr...Godric, can't you - "

Godric kindly smiled at her. "Ms Stackhouse, I have no authority in this area. I am merely here to visit. However, Eric is right. Even those with authority in this area cannot come between a maker and child. The best you can do is stay out of their way and hope Lorena leaves eventually and doesn't take her child with her."

"Well," Sookie said and squared her shoulders. "Then I will just take care of this myself. I won't let this Lorena get away with this."

"Don't be silly," I said, marvelling at Sookie's ignorance. "She'd kill you if you tried to come between her and her child."

"Not if I kill her first," Sookie said with determination.

Eric shot up from his desk and zipped towards Sookie, who was so startled she stumbled backwards and fell on her butt. "You would do well to remember I am the Sheriff in this area, and I take threats to all vampires very seriously. If you kill any vampires in my area, I will destroy you!"

Sookie stared up at Eric, her lips quivering, and then she started to cry. Eric gave her an appalled look and strolled back to the chair behind his desk. I sighed and shared a glance with Godric. I felt sorry for Sookie in a way, but only a small way. I still remembered quite clearly how Bill had ratted me out to the Queen and that doused most of the sympathy I felt for Sookie. Bill had crossed a line by going around Eric straight to the Queen, and now he was paying for it. And Sookie was caught in the middle, but that was hardly my concern. Her relationship with Bill was voluntary, after all.

"You can stay here for as long as Lorena is in town," Eric said, and I wondered why he was offering this to her. Until I remembered that the office was bugged and the Queen could hear our every word. And she had expressed an obvious interest in Sookie. If Eric didn't offer to keep her safe for the time being, the Queen would take it out on his hide.

"I'm not staying here," Sookie said in between sobs. She wiped at her eyes and pushed herself to her feet.

"I am offering because you are Bill's human and he is obviously concerned for your safety," Eric said, giving Sookie a level stare. "As he should be. For as far as I can remember, Lorena has no love lost for humans."

"Well, I'm still not staying," Sookie said, and her eyes narrowed in determination. "You all are refusing to help Bill or me, and I want nothing to do with any of you."

"Suit yourself," Eric said, and he got up and opened the door for our guests. "Just remember that if you hurt any vampires in my area, you will pay for it. Goodnight, Ms Stackhouse."

Sookie glared at Eric as she stomped out of the office. Jessica hurried after her. "Sookie, maybe you should - "

"No, Jessica," Sookie snapped, and then they entered the bar area and we could no longer hear their conversation.

Godric, Eric and I looked at each other for a moment, and then I started giggling. I couldn't help it. Eric sat back behind his desk, grinning like Christmas had come early. And even Godric smiled at us, shaking his head in disbelief.

"She won't last long," Eric said, and picked up a stack of mail. "Not with that kind of attitude."

"It is astounding how ignorant she is," Godric said. "One would think she'd realize the danger a vampire like Lorena could pose, but she doesn't seem to have a clue."

"She just can't get it through her head that Bill isn't human. That there are different laws in the society he lives in," I said with a shrug.

"Well, we've offered her protection," Eric said, sorting through his mail. "But if she refuses it, that's her problem. Here, you've got mail." And he held out a large envelope to me.

I got up and accepted it, wondering who could be sending me mail at Fangtasia. I looked at the envelope as I sat back down beside Godric. It said: AVL.

"Ah, you have registered?" Godric asked.

I nodded and ripped open the envelope. It held several pieces of paper and a small booklet. The cover letter proclaimed in a bold font: 'WELCOME TO ETERNITY'

"That is kind of cheesy," I said with a giggle.

"But true," Godric said, and together we read the letters. It held some general information about the AVL and the current state of vampire laws in the USA. The booklet went into more detail on the laws that concerned vampires, but it also gave a lot of pointers on how to break the news to your family, how to present yourself to humans, how it was beneficial to all vampires if you drank synthetic blood, and there was a section on what to do if you came in contact with human law enforcement agencies. I was pleased to note the AVL had a hotline you could call if you got into any legal trouble. Apparently they had lawyers standing by for such an occurrence.

By the time I'd read everything, Eric was done with reading his mail and had answered a few emails. "I suggest we head out to Bon Temps to settle our affairs with Lafayette," he said, and I blinked in surprise. I'd completely forgotten we still had to take care of that.

"Yes, let's get that over with," Godric said, rising from the couch and pulling me with him. "By the time we return Gerald should have had my books delivered here, so we can continue in our search for the creature then."

We left the bar and once outside Eric told me we would be flying.

"No way," I said, glaring at him. "I'm wearing a dress."

Eric gave me a wicked little smile. "Then how about you fly with Godric this evening, and I will fly behind you both to bring up the rear."

Godric started laughing, and I smacked Eric against his shoulder, which didn't seem to faze him a whole lot. But, after my vampires had sated their lust for juvenile humour, they did agree to take the car. The ride to Bon Temps was comfortable, as we made small talk about this or that.

At one point, Godric said, "I have ordered those movies earlier. We should receive them tomorrow."

"Star Wars?" I asked, leaning forward from my spot in the back seat.

"Yes. There were many of them." Godric looked at Eric. "The story involves a large space battle set in the future, I believe."

"Ah," Eric said, and looked at me over his shoulder. "Is is like Alien? I have seen Alien. It was a very good movie."

I giggled. Of course Eric would like Alien. "No, it's not quite like Alien, but the movies are still good." I glanced between them both, my curiosity demanding satisfaction. "So what movies have you guys seen? And liked?"

"I have seen The Godfather," Godric said, and Eric hummed in agreement. "For a movie focussing on human criminal power structures, it was quite good."

"I liked Pulp Fiction," Eric said, and started chuckling. "Very educational. I learned that one should never point a loaded gun at someone's head while sitting in a moving vehicle."

"How about historical movies?" I asked, wondering if for a person who'd actually been alive in those time periods they held any attraction. "Like Braveheart?" Godric made a loud sound of protest. Okay, apparently he wasn't a Mel Gibson fan. "Or how about Gladiator. I really liked that movie," I said, giving them a hopeful smile.

"I went to see that one, but I walked out of the movie theatre," Eric said with a growl. "They had the Roman commanders shout 'fire' to release arrows."

"Huh?"

Godric laughed and even slapped his thigh in amusement. "Such an obvious mistake. It is a testament to humans' disinterest in history they can't even get that right."

"Get what right?" I asked, because I still didn't understand the problem.

Godric sighed. "Humans did not start using 'fire' as a command to release projectiles in battle until they invented firearms. You see, _fire_arms were weapons that required fire to be operated. Hence why they would shout 'fire'. But for arrows, it is completely ridiculous. They should have shouted something like 'release' instead."

"Ah," I said, and blinked. "I didn't know that."

"It is no surprise," Eric said. "The Americans have a very poor record of teaching their children anything relevant about history."

I wanted to protest. I'd learned plenty of history in high school. But then I realized that perhaps to both these vampires, who'd actually lived throughout history, anything I might have learned would seem inadequate. So I sat back in my seat and didn't comment. We discussed a few more movies they'd seen and before long we arrived at Lafayette's house. He wasn't there, so we moved on to Merlotte's where we hoped to find him working in the kitchen.

"How are we going to do this?" I asked as Eric parked the car in the back of Merlotte's parking lot.

"We get Lafayette out here where you will give him your blood," Eric said matter-of-factly. "Then we will instruct him on what he has to sell." Eric patted his coat pocket. He'd slipped a few vials of vampire blood in there earlier.

"You will be fine," Godric said, offering me a smile. He got out of the car and opened the car door for me. I wasn't so sure about that, but I knew resistance was futile. We entered the bar, and found it full, but not as packed as it had been the night Eric and I had questioned Jason. I looked around carefully, but I didn't see Sookie anywhere. I sincerely hoped she hadn't made the mistake of going after Lorena for real.

Someone dropped a tray of something in the kitchen area. Ah. It seemed Lafayette had spotted us. We walked towards the kitchen, only to be stopped by a very brave yet foolish Sam.

"What do you want?" Sam asked. I pushed a little power into his mind, as I did not want to spend any time arguing with him. I was already nervous enough to begin with.

"We are just going to talk to Lafayette for a moment. Then we'll be on our way."

Sam nodded and stepped out of our way. I pushed open the door and entered the kitchen, to find Lafayette standing in a corner, his back pressed against the wall, while he held out a spatula in front of him as though it were a weapon.

"What the fuck are you all doing here?" Lafayette asked, desperation clear in his voice. "Y'all let me go!"

"Sorry," I said as I walked closer to him. "We need to talk to you. Come with us to the parking lot and we'll explain everything."

"I ain't going anywhere with you!" Lafayette said, and at once Eric growled behind me. "Ah, shit!" Lafayette threw down his spatula and stomped towards the door. We left the bar through the backdoor so no one saw us leave with Lafayette.

"You look much better," I offered in the hopes of making some polite conversation. I was soon to feel this man's every emotion, and I strangely felt I needed to get to know him a bit better.

Lafayette glared at me, while Eric snickered. "Yes, Lafayette," Eric said pleasantly. "That is a lovely necklace."

Clutching the pearl necklace around his neck, Lafayette now glared at Eric. "Just tell me what the fuck you all want."

I looked up at Eric. I had no clue how to break the news to Lafayette, but thankfully, Eric decided to do that. "We want you to drink some of Turid's blood, and after that we want you to start selling a few things for us."

"What?" Lafayette gave me a very dubious look, but I didn't blame him for it.

"Or I'll rip your head off," Eric said with a happy smile.

"Fuck!" Lafayette shrank back in obvious fear. "But you all let me go," he said again, now giving me a pleading look.

"Exactly," Eric said, and leaned a little closer to Lafayette. "And that freedom comes at a price. We're just here to cash in."

Lafayette sighed and shifted his gaze around, obviously trying to think of a way to get out of this. Then he spotted Godric standing a few feet behind us. "Who the fuck is that?" he asked, giving Godric a closer look. "Isn't he a little too young to be one of y'all? Jesus Christ, you're turning kids now?"

"Actually, I am older than your Jesus," Godric said pleasantly. I clapped a hand over my mouth so I wouldn't burst out in laughter. Lafayette stared at Godric in sheer disbelief.

"He is a friend," Eric said. "You should not concern yourself with him."

"Yeah, whatever," Lafayette said, and now there was resignation in his voice. "Just do what you gotta do, and then leave me the fuck alone."

Eric gave me an expectant look, and with a sigh I brought my wrist up to my mouth. I sniffed my own blood, but nothing happened. My fangs wouldn't come out. I gave Eric a nervous smile. I sniffed at my wrist again. Still nothing. I had yet to master the art of dropping my fangs on command. So far, I'd never needed to do it; they'd always popped out when I needed them. Except now.

"Come here," Eric said, his fangs clicking to attention. He grabbed my wrist and bit into it. I winced a little, and Eric offered my bleeding wrist to Lafayette. "Drink," he ordered. Lafayette and I exchanged a dubious look, but then Lafayette grabbed my wrist and brought it to his mouth.

The second some of my blood seeped down his throat, I became _aware_ of him. Really, truly _aware_. It was a most peculiar sensation, like someone had turned a little light on in my mind, and I could now see things I couldn't see before.

I knew without a doubt Lafayette was absolutely terrified of us. I also knew he was strangely attracted to Eric, which confused him because he was also petrified of him. I snorted, and that made Lafayette look at me as he drank my blood. His mouth was very warm against my wrist, and I was glad I'd already eaten, or else I might have been tempted to take a bite out of him.

"That's enough," Eric said, and pulled my wrist away from Lafayette. The wounds closed over soon after.

Godric put his hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked softly, and I nodded at him. Yeah, I was okay. I tried experimenting with this new awareness, and I was pleased to note I could tune it out if I wanted to. It was almost like controlling the volume on a radio. Turn it up or turn it down at will. I could live with that.

"Now," Eric said, and pulled out the vials from his pocket. Lafayette's eyes widened when he saw what they were. "You will sell this for us."

"What the fuck?" Lafayette asked, and I knew he was now feeling both terrified and pissed off. "Y'all tortured me for that shit, and now you want me to fucking sell it?"

"Yes," Eric said simply. "There need not be any questions."

Lafayette accepted the vials and tucked them in his apron. He knew he had no other choice, but he sure wasn't happy about it. Again, I couldn't blame him.

"Oh, Lafayette," I said, and the second Lafayette looked at me I captured his mind with my power. "You will not tell anyone where you got that blood, understood? And you will not tell anyone what happened here in the parking lot tonight, okay? We just came to talk to you about some leads on other V dealers."

"Yeah, okay," Lafayette agreed softly, and I released his mind. That was my biggest concern, that the wrong people found out Eric was selling vampire blood through a human. I would still cast some spells later to make sure Lafayette couldn't spill the beans in any way, but this little glamour would have to do for now.

"That will be all," Eric said, and added ominously, "for now."

Lafayette gave us all a sharp look and then hurried back to the bar. The three of us got in the car and didn't say anything until Eric had pulled out of the parking lot.

"How does the connection to the human feel?" Godric asked curiously.

"It's okay. He's absolutely terrified of us," I said.

"Good," Eric murmured, but I ignored him.

"And I can turn it up or down," I continued happily. "I like that part."

Godric chuckled. "You'll soon learn to control the connection. It should not bother you for long."

"I hope so," I said, and thought about this new awareness, how it had just clicked on the moment Lafayette had ingested my blood. That also made me remember a much more embarrassing moment. "Gosh, I really need to learn to use my fangs properly," I muttered, and buried my face in my hands.

Both Eric and Godric started laughing. "Just a minor fang malfunction," Godric said with a teasing smile, and I giggled but I slapped his shoulder anyway. The bastard. Throwing my own words back into my face after all this time.

"Just think of feeding," Eric offered. "Think of all that delicious human blood and your fangs will come out. After a while, you won't even have to do that. They'll appear at will."

I positioned myself so my face appeared in the rear view mirror and I curled my upper lip so I could see my teeth. I thought hard about the taste of the girl I'd had for dinner, how sweet her blood had been, and with a soft click my fangs came out. "Oh! Look!" I said proudly. "Okay, now how do I make them go away again?"

Eric and Godric laughed again, sharing a knowing look. "Think of something you don't like," Eric said. "And they'll go way."

I thought of rats and faeces and sewers, and indeed, after a few seconds my fangs popped back in. "Huh," I said, and then at once thought about sweet blood. My fangs popped out. Sewers and rats and faeces, and they popped back in. "This is so cool," I said happily. I was very pleased I'd finally gotten the hang of this trick.

Eric and Godric spent the rest of the ride teasing me merciless, but I didn't really mind. The evening had been great so far. Brilliant wake-up and shower sex with my boyfriends, a nice little dinner party together, a funny interlude provided by the ever entertaining Sookie, and now I'd formed a connection to a human which I could control and I'd learned how to use my fangs properly.

The evening couldn't get any better, as far as I was concerned.

Which meant, of course, it could only go worse.

As we arrived at Fangasia, Pam told us a couple of vampires had dropped off some boxes for Godric. We found them in the office, and Eric and Godric immediately started sorting through the books.

"Do you speak Latin?" Godric asked me as he piled up books by language.

"Er...not fluently. I know enough Latin to work spells, but that's it," I said, trying not to feel too inadequate. I'd always prided myself on being able to speak a few foreign languages, but compared to Godric and Eric, who probably spoke dozens of languages, I felt rather inept.

"How about Greek?" Godric asked me with a frown.

"Nope, sorry."

"What languages do you speak?" Eric asked.

"Well, I speak English, obviously, Spanish, French, German, a little bit of Italian, and some Portuguese and Japanese. But not a whole lot. Just enough to order dinner, you know."

"Hm," Eric said, and offered me a smile. "Not bad for an American, but it's not going to help us with these books."

So I sat down and observed them quietly as they sorted through the books. Eric sat behind his desk with a few books in front of him, and Godric joined me on the couch, a large, rather dusty tomb in his lap.

"It's written in Greek," he explained, as I peered curiously at the strange language on its pages. "We can teach you some more languages, if you like."

"That would be cool," I said, and then remembered a question I'd been meaning to ask them for ages. "Hey, what's this language you always speak together? Some kind of Scandinavian language?"

"Old Norse," Godric said, and he exchanged a smile with Eric. "We have been speaking it together ever since I turned him."

"Huh," I said, impressed. "I bet not a whole lot of people speak that anymore."

"Not as we know it, in our specific dialect," Godric agreed. "Though the language they speak in Iceland today is similar in some ways."

I smiled at him, pleased they were telling me so much. I'd always loved learning new things, and when in the company of such old vampires, it was hard not to learn things like that. But before I could ask them more about this fascinating subject, the office door banged open and a distraught looking Jessica waltzed in.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed, her entire face streaked with bloody tears. "Bill told me to leave and I just don't know where else to go."

"Jessica," I said, as I jumped to my feet. I put my hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "Please calm down and tell us what's wrong."

"It's Sookie," Jessica said, and more thick, bloody tears leaked out of her eyes. "Lorena has killed Sookie."

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**A/N: Whoa, now that's a cliff hanger if I ever saw one. Sorry, folks, but I just couldn't resist leaving it here, at least for a little while. I should have the next chapter up tomorrow, but in the meantime, feel free to let me know what you think happened to poor Sookie. Obviously, this story has been slightly AU from the beginning, so I decided to spin it a little further off track. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"What?" I shrieked, and my knees buckled as I stepped away from Jessica in shock. Godric was by my side instantly, and he steadied me with an arm around my waist.

"Are you certain about this?" Eric asked, as he rose to his feet behind his desk.

Jessica nodded. "There was a fight, and Lorena bit Sookie, and then I couldn't hear her heartbeat anymore." Jessica buried her face in her hands, her shoulders heaving with great big sobs.

"Pam," Eric called, and walked out from behind his desk to stand beside Godric and me. Only a few moments later, Pam zoomed into the office.

"Take care of Jessica," Eric said, and Pam looked like she wanted to protest, but then she noticed Eric's thunderous expression and she nodded quietly instead. "Come," Eric said to Godric and me, and we followed him out of the bar through the backdoor. Once outside, Eric offered me his back and I climbed on without thinking.

I was too shocked to think straight. I was too shocked that Sookie had actually confronted Lorena in some manner. Had she really not understood the dangers? Had she really not realized Bill couldn't protect her from his own maker? All these questions and more swirled through my head as Eric flew as fast as he could, Godric right beside us.

Once we were a few minutes away from Fangtasia, Eric slowed down until we hovered in midair. Godric came to hover right in front of us.

"Turid," Eric said, turning his face a little so I could see his profile. "I must ask you to do magic for me."

I swallowed, but nodded. Eric was my maker. I'd do anything he asked me to do.

"I need you to glamour Lorena. She must forget I was the one to contact her," Eric said, his voice tight with tension. "If the Queen finds out I was the one to bring her here, and this led directly to the death of the telepath, she will probably see me truly dead, understood?"

"Yes," I said, clinging a little tighter to Eric. I didn't even want to think of him being truly dead. "I'll glamour her."

"You should glamour Bill as well," Godric said, and I frowned at him. "We cannot be sure Lorena didn't reveal her contact with Eric to him."

"Yes, you're right," Eric said, nodding. "Turid, you must make Lorena believe she's been keeping a close eye on her child out of her own free will, and that she learned through some human contacts in Bon Temps about Bill's involvement with a human."

"I can do that," I said, though to be honest, I wasn't absolutely sure I could. Jessica was a very young vampire. But Lorena, seeing as how she was Bill's maker, had to be at least a few centuries old. I sure hoped I had enough power to glamour a mind that old.

"I will find a way to distract Bill so you can glamour Lorena," Godric said, sharing a look with Eric. "And then Eric will distract Lorena so you can glamour Bill."

"Okay," I said, eternally grateful my vampires could think straight under duress. My mind was still a jumble of thoughts and questions. We resumed our flight without further comment, and it was not ten minutes later than we touched down in Bill's front yard. I was entirely windblown, but I didn't really care. We had more serious things to worry about now.

"Stay close to Godric," Eric told me as we hurried up the porch. I nodded quietly. Eric barged through the front door, with Godric and me on his heels.

A dark-haired vampire was sitting on the couch. It was hard to tell if she was pretty or not, because she was covered in blood and dirt. Bill sat on the floor, his shoulders hunched. He was shirtless, and from what I could see of his face, he'd been crying. He was sitting beside a large puddle of blood, and my nose told me it was Sookie's blood. No other blood smelled quite that sweet.

"Lorena," Eric said impassively.

"Sheriff Northman," Lorena said, looking up at Eric with a most satisfied smile.

"You're not even in my area for a night and you're already slaughtering humans?" Eric inquired, his face a blank mask. "We do not like to draw that kind of attention to ourselves in my neck of the woods."

Lorena waved a grimy hand at the coffee table. "Bill's little human tried to stake me." And indeed, there on the coffee table lay a wooden stake, covered in blood. "So I staked her instead."

"Tell me what happened," Eric said, his voice darkening with power.

Lorena shrugged. "I was just teaching my William some manners, as he'd been awfully rude to me when I arrived here." She gestured at the staircase where I saw silver chains hanging. She'd tied her own child up with silver? "And then his little human interrupted us, demanding I let my William go," Lorena said, and giggled for a moment. "She tried to stake me, I staked her, and then I drained her."

"So I can assume Ms Stackhouse is dead?" Eric asked. I bit my lip, just as Bill made a sound between a growl and a sob.

"For now," Lorena said, and looked up at Eric with a smirk. "But not forever. Why go for the kill when you can go for the pain? This way, I will be able to punish her for eternity."

I took a step back and bumped into Godric. Lorena had turned Sookie? And she planned on punishing Sookie forever? I couldn't even comprehend the idea and I stared at Lorena in utter disbelief.

"She will rise as my child in two days," Lorena said, and giggled as she looked at Bill. "Perhaps Bill will finally learn some manners. He'll be able to look, but not touch, unless he asks very nicely."

Bill glared up at Eric. "This is all your fault," he growled, and before anyone could respond, Bill snatched up the stake from the coffee table and launched himself at Eric.

But Godric was quicker. Much quicker. Faster than even my vampire eyes could see, Godric stood in front of Eric, knocked the stake from Bill's hand, and with a mere flick of his wrist tossed Bill straight through the living room window out on the porch, glass shattering everywhere.

Lorena jumped to her feet, her fangs snapping to attention. She hissed at Godric, but he looked back at her impassively.

"Now it is my turn to teach your child some manners," Godric said, and jumped out the window after Bill. We heard a few growls, wood splintering and then bones breaking. Bill cried out in obvious pain while Godric slammed him around.

Eric gave me a significant look. Oh. I guess it was time for me to work my magic.

"Sheriff, call off your vampire," Lorena said, her voice tight with obvious concern for Bill.

"Lorena," I said, as I stepped up to her. She looked at me with an arched eyebrow and at once I pushed all my power into her mind. She went rigid under the assault, but I had her where I wanted her. And just as I was about to start telling her what to remember, I realized that Bill's house might be bugged, too. The Queen had said Bill was working on a little something for her. I inhaled a deep breath. I'd have to be very careful how to phrase this, lest we were overheard.

"You have been keeping a close eye on your child for many years, haven't you?" I said quietly. I hoped I sounded like I was questioning her instead of planting new memories in her mind. "And then some of the humans here told you Bill had taken up with a human, didn't they?"

"Yes," Lorena said, her voice empty. "I've always loved William. He shouldn't have taken up with that little human."

"And then you decided to come see for yourself, how your child was doing, right?"

"Yes," Lorena said, staring at me with glazed eyes. "He claims he loves that human. He should love me. I'm his maker. And now his little human is mine."

"Yes, she is," I said quietly, trying not to think too much on that. I had to keep my focus.

"Are you planning on staying here?" Eric asked Lorena, and I knew what he was doing. He was telling me what else to augment in her mind.

"Yes," I said quickly, pushing a little more power in Lorena's mind. "You could stay here with Bill for a while."

"I think I will," Lorena said. "This is the perfect place to train my new child."

Eric said nothing more, so I drew my power back slowly and released Lorena's mind. She seemed none the wiser, and just looked at us curiously.

Eric gave me a brief smile and nudged my shoulder. "Why don't you go check up on Godric. There are still a few things I must discuss with Lorena."

I nodded and jumped out the window. I guess it was Bill's turn now to have his mind scrambled. I found Godric and Bill at the other end of the yard. Bill looked a bloody mess, and Godric's beige shirt was covered in blood splatters.

"If you ever threaten my child again, I will rip you apart and leave your remains to the sun," Godric growled as he stood leaning over Bill, who lay crumpled on the ground. I'd never seen Godric this angry before, not even when we'd discovered Hugo had been the traitor. But I guess threatening his child was enough to bring out the real vampire in him.

I cleared my throat as I stood waiting a small distance away. I didn't accidentally want to get caught up in Godric's blood lust. Godric straightened up, looked at me for a few moments with narrowed eyes, and then his face relaxed and he smiled.

"Come," he said, holding out his bloody hand to me. I zipped to his side and looked down at Bill. I could barely make out his eyes, his face was such a mess, but I could see enough of them to push my power into his mind.

"Lorena has been keeping an eye on you for many years," I said, focusing my power. I was starting to get tired, which was no surprise. It took a lot to glamour a vampire mind. "She heard from a few humans in town you'd taken up with a human. She decided to come and see for herself what you were doing. Eric has nothing to do with it."

And slowly, I released his mind. Bill didn't seem to realize what had happened. He just groaned in pain. He'd heal eventually, but it gave me a lot of satisfaction to see him like this. He'd just tried to stake my maker, after all. Any kindness I may have felt for him up to this point had just flown out the window because of that. I hoped the bastard suffered for eternity.

I stepped back and almost fell over as my feet caught on some tree roots. Godric wrapped his arm around my shoulder to steady me just as Eric hurried up to us.

"We leave now," Eric said and offered me his back. I didn't ask any questions, but just climbed on.

We flew for maybe five minutes and then Eric set us down on a deserted stretch of farmland. I slid down his back and sank to the ground. I really was exhausted. Godric and Eric sat down as well. Godric looked peacefully up at the moon, and Eric put his head in one hand.

"I suggest we go see the Queen now," Eric said quietly.

"Huh?" I looked at him in confusion.

"It's better she hears this directly from me," Eric said, glancing up at me. "I have done nothing wrong, as far as she knows. I'm just delivering the dreadful news to her that Bill's maker has turned the telepath."

"I agree," Godric said, and offered me a reassuring smile. "This way she might look upon Eric as an ally against Lorena, rather than try to shift any blame to him."

"What happens to Sookie now?" I asked, because I just had to know.

Eric shrugged. "Lorena buried her in the cemetery beside Bill's house. She'll rise in two days. And then she'll be Lorena's child."

"Just like that?" I asked, because I still couldn't quite comprehend it.

"Did you expect something else?" Eric asked with an amused smile.

"I don't know," I said, my voice hitching. "Maybe the Queen might still want Sookie for herself, or Bill might try something."

"Bill can't do anything," Eric said pointedly. "Lorena is his maker. And even the Queen cannot come between a maker and child, so Sookie really does belong to Lorena now."

"She might try to get between them anyway," Godric added. He seemed entirely unconcerned by the situation. "But she won't do it publicly. She might try blackmailing Lorena into letting her use Sookie, claiming Sookie already belonged to her and Lorena overstepped her boundaries."

"If Sookie even keeps her powers," Eric said, and I gasped. I hadn't even considered that.

"But the Queen never claimed Sookie for herself, did she?" I asked, trying to make sense of everything in my mind.

"Not publicly," Eric said. "Perhaps she had hopes Bill would let her use his human as often as she wanted, but that's hardly claiming a human for yourself."

"But Bill could protest this," I said. "Since Sookie was his human and Lorena killed her."

"But Sookie attacked Lorena first," Eric said with a patient smile. "Lorena had every right to defend herself against a human trying to stake her. Add to that, she's Bill's maker. If this case were ever to appear before the Magistrate, I doubt he'd rule in Bill's favour."

I sighed. "What a mess." I bit my lip and looked between Eric and Godric. "Would she really spend eternity punishing Sookie?"

Godric shrugged. "She's her child now. She can do with her whatever she wants."

"Lorena is not very...stable, mentally," Eric said carefully. "And Sookie is a very stubborn girl. I believe Lorena will beat that out of her soon enough, though. What happens after that is anyone's guess."

I swallowed, a great, dark emptiness settling in my chest. I crawled closer to Eric and Godric and pulled them both into a hug. I needed my maker and my rock. I needed to know they would never treat me like that. I needed to know that they genuinely cared for me.

"I'm very lucky to have you both," I whispered, as Eric and Godric wrapped their arms around me and held me tight.

"And we're lucky to have you," Eric said, kissing my hair. "You saved my hide tonight with your magic."

"You're welcome," I said, and Eric chuckled. We sat like that for a while, just taking comfort in each other's arms. Eventually, Eric pulled back and gave both Godric and me a smile.

"If we leave now, we'll be in New Orleans before sunrise."

"Shouldn't we pack a bag or something?" I asked, thinking I needed at least some clean underwear and my toothbrush. And Godric definitely needed a change of clothes; I didn't think it proper to go see the Queen covered in blood spatters. Then again, she was a vampire, so who knew what really was proper around her.

"We'll buy whatever we need in New Orleans," Eric said, and there was a definite note to his voice. I decided not to argue. The situation was bad enough as it was. I climbed onto Godric's back this time, since he was the oldest and most powerful, and would have no trouble carrying me all the way to New Orleans.

We were off and I buried my face into Godric's neck and thought about everything that had happened. I felt simply awful for Sookie. Sure, I hadn't always seen eye to eye with her, but I'd liked her overall, and I certainly hadn't wanted this for her. I knew from firsthand experience how intimate and close the bond between a maker and child was. To even imagine having such a bond with a vampire like Lorena was absolutely dreadful. And now Sookie was stuck in that situation for the rest of her existence. At least she'd still have Bill in some way, even though Lorena might not let them be intimate anymore.

Ugh. The more I thought about it, the less I could comprehend it, or so it seemed.

The only thing I did know for sure was that soon Sookie would find out what it really meant to be a vampire, and I wondered how she'd react to things like bloodlust and the obvious connection between sex, aggression and blood.

We arrived in New Orleans with half an hour to spare before dawn. Eric checked us in at the Royal Goldfield Hotel, which catered specifically to vampires and was situated only a few blocks from the Queens palace. He booked us a room with a king sized bed, and once I saw that king sized bed I dropped down on it without taking my clothes off.

I was just that exhausted. Godric went into the bathroom to wash off all the blood, and Eric took his own clothes off and then sat down beside me on the bed. He removed my clothes with care, sneaking in a few kisses where he could. I smiled at the soft caresses of his hands, and my smile grew wider still when Godric joined us. I let them manoeuvre me under the sheets as they settled on either side of me.

I wanted to ask them about what to expect at the Queen's palace, but dawn came, so those questions would just have to wait.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

When I came to I was alone in bed. I blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling and then remembered I was in a hotel in New Orleans. I sat up just as Godric walked into the bedroom.

I stared.

He was wearing a suit. A very nice, grey suit. With a light-blue tie that brought out his eyes. I'd never seen Godric in anything other than his comfortable clothes before, and this certainly was an eye opener.

"Good evening," Godric said with a smile.

"Hi," I said, and stared some more. "You look great," I finally said. Of course, at that moment Eric joined us. He was wearing a grey suit as well, just a few shades lighter than Godric's.

"You look great, too," I said, looking between my two vampires. I was instantly disappointed there obviously wasn't going to be any wakeup sex.

"Why don't you jump under the shower while we order a donor for you," Eric said, and gestured towards the bathroom. "The Queen is expecting us so we must make haste."

"All right." I crawled out of bed, pleased to note that both vampires were watching every move of my naked body, and sauntered towards the shower. I used the little bottles of shampoo and shower gel provided by the hotel and made quick work of everything. As I walked back into the bedroom, washed and dried, I found a cute human guy sitting on the edge of the bed. His eyes lit up when he saw me, probably because I was still naked. That was, until Eric growled; the guy looked down at once.

I put on a robe and fed on the guy. His blood was sweet enough, although he did moan in a rather over the top way as I sucked on his throat. Eric tipped him and all but kicked him out of our suite while I washed the blood off my face. There was a bag of makeup waiting for me, plus some other toiletries I might need. I applied my makeup with care, and once I had my hair almost dry Eric stepped up behind me. He brushed my hair, yanked on it, twisted it, and rolled it up in an expert French roll. He clipped the whole thing together with a fancy crystal-studded hairclip, and then seemingly out of nowhere he produced a bottle of hairspray and went to town. It was a very good thing I didn't have to breathe.

"Perfect," he said with a satisfied smile, as he looked me over left and right.

I giggled madly. "Were you a hairdresser in a previous life or something?"

Eric snorted. "More like Pam's personal hairdresser in this life."

I giggled some more as Eric led me back inside the bedroom. I'd have to ask Pam about that when we returned to Shreveport. Godric was waiting for me, and he was holding an absolutely stunning long, red chiffon halter dress. Eric tossed a red string my way. I slipped it on quickly and then let Godric help me into the dress.

"Er...no bra?" I asked hesitantly once I noticed exactly how deep the v-neck was. "My boobs will be on display, sorta."

"Exactly," Eric said happily, and I glared at him.

"The Queen prefers women," Godric explained as he handed me a pair of red heels. "This way, we hope she will be suitably distracted and not concern herself too much with Eric's role in this whole mess."

I sighed. "So I'm a tactical diversion?" Both vampires nodded, seemingly pleased I'd understood their plan. Oh well. If my boobs could save Eric's butt, so be it.

Finally, Godric held out a fancy jewellery box to me. I stared at it. "Will you not look at what we selected for you?" Godric asked with a rather hopeful smile.

"Sure," I said, feeling a little overwhelmed. I opened the box and gasped. Inside was a ruby and diamond necklace, and a matching bracelet and earrings. The necklace was nothing like the modest pendant Godric had given me all those weeks ago. This necklace was positively drowning in gemstones.

"Holy crap," I said, afraid to even touch that kind of jewellery, let alone wear it.

"So you like it?'" Eric asked, looking at me expectantly.

"You mean this is for me?" I asked, astonished. "Seriously?"

"Of course," Eric said with a shrug. "You needed some more jewellery."

I let Godric put everything on, even the earrings. I was too scared to touch it. I couldn't even imagine how frigging expensive this must be. When I was finally ready, I stood stiffly in front of my vampires, worried the necklace might fall off and spill diamonds all over the floor or something.

"You look stunning," Godric said, kissing my cheek.

"You will outshine the Queen herself," Eric said, and kissed my other cheek.

I released a deep breath and linked my arm through Eric's. We made our way down to the lobby, and I kept touching my necklace, just checking to make sure it was still there.

"Stop that," Eric whispered in my ear, while Godric chuckled behind us. I willed my hands to stay down. Everyone was looking at us, and I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrors behind the counter. I looked like a movie star on her way to a premiere. This made me all the more nervous. Sure, we were going to see a Queen, but still. Wasn't all this a bit too much?

There was a limo waiting for us, with a vampire driver named Rasul. He opened the door for us, eyed my cleavage with interest, and politely nodded at Eric and Godric. I seated myself between them on the leather seat and tried with all my might to relax as we drove the short distance to the palace.

The limo parked right in front of the gates, and Rasul led us inside the palace where a few guards looked us over for a few moments. When we were deemed safe enough, the guards led us through the palace and out into a courtyard. Behind a large water display stood a smaller part of the palace and that's where we were heading.

Inside, it looked like a pool house on steroids. Everything was lush and luxurious and over the top. Eric had been right about one thing; the Queen sure liked to spend her money, which was probably what had gotten her into financial troubles in the first place.

We walked into the main room and I got my first look at the Queen. She was seated on a lounge chair, a blonde human girl sitting at her feet. The Queen was beautiful, of that there was no doubt. She looked like a 50s movie star, her hair and clothing styled in a way that might look old-fashioned on anyone else, but on her it looked timeless.

"Sheriff Northman," the Queen said, looking up at us with a bored expression.

Eric and Godric bowed to her as we stood in front of her, so I followed suit.

"Your Majesty," Eric said, and gestured to his side. "You remember my maker, Godric."

The Queen gave Godric a tight little smile, and Godric nodded in return.

"And this is my new child, Turid," Eric said, indicating me with a small gesture. I smiled at the Queen. She looked me over top to bottom and then her gaze rested on my cleavage and stayed there. Bingo! Eric and Godric had made the right choice in my dress, apparently.

"What brings you here, Sheriff?" the Queen finally asked.

"I'm afraid I come with troubling news," Eric said, and he sounded downright sad. "Bill's maker, Lorena, has come to visit him. However, Bill's human, the telepath, was not pleased with this. She attacked Lorena."

The Queen's expression became downright frigid, her lips pursing and her eyes narrowing.

"In fact, she tried to stake Lorena," Eric continued, still sounding perfectly remorseful. "But of course, Lorena overpowered the human. And in retaliation, she has killed the telepath. And turned her. The telepath is resting in the ground as we speak, expecting to arise a vampire tomorrow night."

"How could this have happened?" the Queen snarled as she flew to her feet. I took an involuntary step backwards, but Godric put his hand on my lower back to keep me from moving away further.

Eric sighed. "Bill sent his child, Jessica, and the telepath to me to deliver the news of Lorena's arrival. I offered the telepath protection, of course, and warned her not to go after Lorena herself, but she refused to stay."

"You let her go?" the Queen demanded, stepping closer to Eric.

"What would you have had me do, Your Majesty?" Eric asked, nonplussed. "Chain the telepath in my basement? She could not be glamoured. Besides, I had not expected her to go after a vampire as powerful as Lorena by herself. No one had."

"This is entirely unacceptable," the Queen spat. "That telepath belonged to me!"

"With all due respect, Sophie-Anne," Godric said pleasantly. "I was under the impression the human belonged to Bill Compton."

"I sent Compton to procure that little idiot for me!" the Queen yelled, her voice echoing around the room. "That fool Compton was supposed to seduce the telepath and bring her here to me, so I could turn her eventually!"

Eric blinked. "I was unaware these were your orders. Had I known I might have been able to act - "

"Save it, Northman," the Queen grumbled, shooting daggers at him. "I hold you personally responsible for this."

Eric's eyes narrowed just a bit. "I would have you tell me how this is my responsibility, since I was unaware of your orders and have acted in my best capacity as Sheriff of my area, even going so far as to offer protection to a human that didn't even belong to me. It is hardly my fault the telepath has the IQ of a doormat."

"You cost me a telepath," the Queen said, moving even closer to Eric. "I expect retribution." Now the Queen looked at me and smiled a very creepy smile. I vaguely wondered if she and Andre practised that smile together in front of the mirror.

The Queen glanced at Eric. "I will take your witch as repayment."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

A/N: Yeah, I went there. Sookie is now vamped and belongs to Lorena. I do feel I have to explain myself here a little bit. I've read the books years before the TV show was made, and I've always really liked book-Sookie; she's brave, resourceful, independent, and even though she can be naive at times, she's never stupid.

Now, let's look at TV show-Sookie, especially after last Sunday's episode (season 3 episode 6): Sookie was just plain stupid. Really, there is no other word to describe her. The way she mouthed off at Eric on several occasions; what did she expect Eric do? The King was right there for part of the scenes, and even when they were 'alone', there were guards all over the place, and hello, vampires have very good hearing, especially a vampire as old as Russell. He could probably hear them talking while he was upstairs.

And yet Sookie somehow expected Eric to just divulge his plans to her? To just forget about everything else and save her, no matter the risk? Seriously? She couldn't even think for one second when they brought her in. She just didn't seem to realize that mouthing off at people is not the kind of behaviour that gets you out of a dangerous situation like that. Ah well...since TV show-Sookie is so stupid, and this fic is based on the show, mostly, I decided to stick with that characterization, and thus Sookie has met her match (and then some!) in Lorena, since Bill was tied up and couldn't save her. We'll see what happens from here...it should be interesting. Thanks for reading, everyone! And be sure to let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Godric threw his head back and laughed. "Oh, Sophie-Anne," he said with a wide grin. "I am pleased to see your sense of humour has increased so much over the centuries. Demanding a vampire as payment for losing a human that did not officially belong to you? That is funny."

The Queen glared at Godric, while I was desperately trying to keep myself from running away to the inlands of China to hide there for the rest of my existence. I really did not want to belong to the Queen, ever.

"Why is he even here?" the Queen asked Eric, who looked like he had trouble keeping control of his anger; his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed.

"My maker came for a visit and was there when we visited with Bill and Lorena," Eric said. I sensed through our bond Eric was reigning in his fury inch by inch. "I do have good news for you. Well, good considering the circumstances. Lorena has decided to remain in Bon Temps for a while. Perhaps I could mediate between yourself and Lorena for the services of the telepath. That is, if she keeps her powers, of course."

The Queen seemed to consider that as she studied her fingernails. "If the telepath keeps her powers, I want full access to her," she finally said.

"I am sure Lorena will allow it, once she learns Bill was sent to procure the telepath for your personal service," Eric said, and now his smile was back in place. I relaxed just a fraction. "Besides, having Lorena train the telepath may not be such a bad thing. The telepath was incredibly stubborn as a human. I'm sure Lorena will have no trouble making her more docile."

"Yes," the Queen agreed. "That might be beneficial for her services to me. But I still hold you responsible, Northman."

"Had I known the telepath was stupid enough to try to stake a vampire such as Lorena, I would have done more to ensure her safety, Your Majesty. If you allow it, I will repay you through securing the telepaths services for you."

The Queen waved a hand at Eric. "Very well."

Eric bowed. I followed suit, but Godric stayed upright. I figured he'd done all his bowing for one night. At once the Queen's gaze was back on my cleavage. Of course, because of my bow I'd given her a perfect view of my breasts. I tried to keep an impassive face as I looked at her.

"I like your new child," the Queen said, and offered Eric the sweetest of smiles. "You should bring her with you the next time you visit."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Eric said generously.

"That will be all." The Queen waved her hand in the general direction of the door and sat down again on her lounge chair. She started caressing the hair of the human girl at her feet as though she was petting a puppy.

We were dismissed, and I didn't mind one bit. I linked my arm through Eric's so I wouldn't actually run out of there. Instead, I glided stately to the exit on the arm of my maker. We didn't speak on the ride back to the hotel. Eric and Godric both had blank faces as they stared out the windows and I sat quietly between them, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Once inside the hotel room, Eric grabbed me in a tight hug while Godric closed the door behind us. Eric buried his nose in my neck and inhaled, and then kissed his way up to my mouth. I let him and wrapped my arms around his chest.

"She can't actually take me away from you, can she?" I whispered, as Eric pressed a few soft kisses to my cheeks and lips.

"Of course not," Godric said, as he shrugged off his suit jacket. His tie was next. "But she can try. Sophie-Anne has always liked to bluff."

Eric grumbled something in Old Norse, and Godric laughed and stepped closer to us, squeezing Eric's shoulder in a comfortable gesture. "The end result is the same, my child," Godric said, looking between Eric and me. "The Queen has been informed and she has agreed to let you mediate in payment for what she believes she's lost. A perfect outcome."

Eric sighed and nodded at Godric. He grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the bedroom, Godric strolling after us.

"She sent Bill to seduce Sookie," I said once I sat on the edge of the bed. "Poor Sookie. She's lost her life because of a guy who was deceiving her all along."

"That is hardly our concern," Godric said as he settled on the bed beside me. Eric sat down on my other side.

"But we have to tell her," I said, staring at Godric in disbelief. "We've got to do _something_."

"Turid," Eric said, and gave me a very stern look. "You must understand that Sookie is a vampire now and she is Lorena's child. There is nothing you can do for her."

"But -"

"No," Eric said, and squeezed my thigh a little too hard. "Sookie will probably learn these new facts when we go to negotiate a deal with Lorena tomorrow, but it won't change anything. Both she and Bill belong to Lorena. Nothing will change that."

I released a shuddering breath. I understood what Eric was saying on some level, but my human sensibilities couldn't quite comprehend it: the unfairness of it all, and the tragedy. But I knew Eric was right about one thing: there was nothing we could do to change Sookie's situation. She belonged to Lorena, just like I belonged to Eric, and even the Queen herself couldn't come between such a bond.

"All right," I whispered, and offered Eric a small smile.

"Why don't you take the dress off?" Godric asked, one corner of his mouth quirking up. My smile grew a little wider, and I pushed myself to my feet. I wanted to take my shoes off but Eric stopped me with a touch to my arm.

"No, leave the shoes on," Eric said, his voice lowering.

"And the jewellery?" I asked, touching my necklace.

"Leave that on, too," Godric said. His voice was just as low as Eric's.

I unzipped the dress and let it fall to the floor. I turned around and bent over, offering my vampires a view of my backside which was only covered by a red string, and picked the dress up. I placed it gently on a chair in the corner and sauntered back over to the bed. Eric reached out, hooked one finger around my string and yanked. It fell to the floor.

And so I was standing there in front of my vampires in red heels, covered in diamonds and rubies and nothing else. I trailed my hands up to my breasts and slowly pinched my nipples. Eric and Godric shared a look and a grin, and both pulled me closer, shoving my hands out of the way. Eric sucked my left nipple into his mouth, and Godric my right, and I buried my hands in their hair and arched my back.

The both reached between my legs, Eric to slide two fingers inside me and Godric to rub my clit with his thumb, and they didn't stop until I cried out as my climax swept through me. They lowered me to the bed and made quick work of their own clothing, and then I was surrounded by two hard bodies and I pressed myself against them both as much as I could.

"Sit on Eric," Godric whispered into my ear, and I did as he told me. Godric positioned my hips so I could sink down on Eric's erection, and then Godric kneeled behind me and slipped in a finger right alongside Eric's cock.

I stared down at Eric with wide eyes, and Eric grinned up at me, his hands busy with teasing my breasts. Godric added another finger, and another, and I gasped for breath and pushed back at him.

"You must relax or this will be painful," Godric whispered, and slowly removed his fingers, only to replace them with his cock. I willed my body to accept this new intrusion, which stretched me further than anything ever had. Eric pinched my nipples and rubbed a thumb across my clit as I leaned down, my hands on either side of his shoulders. Godric pushed inside me inch by inch, and I groaned as he filled me completely, his chest pressed against my back.

They were inside me. They were _both_ inside me, and I'd never felt this full in my life before.

It was _perfect_.

They started rocking their hips in a steady rhythm, picking up a little speed with every thrust, and I closed my eyes and gave myself over to them, and soon I wasn't sure anymore where one ended and the other began. I groaned and keened and tore at the sheets beneath us, and Godric nipped at my shoulder and Eric nipped at my throat, and then they both sank their fangs inside me and I cried out as my pleasure peaked and I saw stars and shadows and finally slumped down between them.

"Fuck," I moaned, as I was crushed against Eric by Godric's weight.

"Exactly," Eric said, a smile in his voice. I giggled and Godric chuckled, his chest vibrating against my back. We stayed like that for a while, but I didn't mind one bit. I needed to feel their bodies, their skin, their kisses, after all that had happened.

At some point Eric and Godric were ready again, and they started moving their hips and they fucked me all over again until I couldn't even remember any of the things that had upset me over the past few days. After we'd all found our release, they pulled out of me, leaving me empty and just a bit sore, but not in a bad way.

"I've wanted to do that since the night I met you," Eric said once I was lying between them. "Truly share you with my maker."

"Really?" I asked, surprised by his confession. "So why didn't you?"

Godric pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "You have seen Eric's size, yes?" he asked me dryly. "It would have been too uncomfortable for you when you were still human."

I considered that. Eric was indeed well endowed, and Godric wasn't exactly small either. Yes, it would have been quite a stretch for a human. But luckily for me, I wasn't human anymore.

"I really liked this," I whispered, feeling just a bit shy to admit that. "We can do this again, right?"

"As often as you like," Godric said while Eric burst out in laughter. I grinned at them both and stretched out a bit, rubbing myself against their bodies. Eric kissed me hard and deep, and Godric caressed my breasts, and we stayed together like that for a while, kissing and touching and smiling and laughing, and I felt happy and at peace.

Of course, eventually we had to get up and face reality again. We got dressed in our original clothes. Eric arranged for our new clothes to be sent to Bobby, his day guy. Eric did carefully place my new jewellery back in its box and tucked it inside his coat pocket. I was just glad to see it had all survived our romps between the sheets.

I travelled on Godric's back and was eternally grateful vampires didn't feel the cold as humans did. The wind was strong and icy up high as we flew straight to Fangtasia. When we got there, it was already closed and deserted. Eric opened the backdoor for us. He looked through his mail while Godric collected all the books and packed them in the cardboard boxes so we could take them back to the house with us. I sat on the couch and drank a True Blood, and tried not to worry about Sookie's horrible fate, Maryann and her orgies of doom, or the Queen's obvious attempt to steal me away from Eric.

I looked between Eric and Godric as they quietly went about their way. I had my two vampires, my maker and my boyfriend, to look out for me. They cared for me. I was safe.

Eric threw a small parcel at Godric, and Godric smiled at me as he opened it. I looked on curiously, and started giggling as Godric proudly showed me all six Star Wars movies.

"We can watch the first one tonight," I said, and I gave both Eric and Godric a hopeful look. Nothing sounded better right now than snuggling on the couch with my vampires and watching a classic together.

"Fine by me," Eric said, as he tossed some empty envelopes in the trash can beside his desk. I jumped up from the couch with a happy squeal and waited impatiently by the door until Eric was finally ready.

We drove the SUV back to Eric's house, and once inside I immediately started collecting the things we needed. A few blankets and some pillows, and some bottles of AB-negative for Godric and me (Eric still detested it).

"Should we be naked for this?" Eric asked with a wicked grin as he observed the little nest I'd made on the couch.

"No!" I glared at him. "We're going to watch a movie. There need not be nakedness."

Eric pouted, while Godric laughed and got the TV and DVD player going. We settled on the couch, leaning back against the pillows as I covered our lower bodies with the blanket. Eric watched me curiously while Godric was staring intently at the screen.

"Okay, it's starting," I said, poking Eric in the ribs. "Watch the movie now."

Eric sighed and pulled me a little closer as he finally focuses his attention on the TV. I grinned like a loon when the familiar music started and text rolled across the screen. Eric and Godric took it all in with blank faces.

"R2D2 and C3PO!" I squealed, bouncing on the couch. Eric and Godric looked at me in concern.

"They are robots," Eric said, as though that automatically made them unworthy of my attentions.

"Yes, but they're very _cool_ robots," I said, and Eric shook his head in disbelief while Godric chuckled. I patted both their knees. "You'll see."

Luke Skywalker didn't seem to do anything for them, but they did both express an interest in Darth Vader.

"He's the bad guy," I whispered, but this didn't faze either one of my vampires much.

Chewbacca was regarded with some suspicion. "I bet he stinks like a Were," Eric said, while Godric nodded in agreement.

Han Solo was next. "Is he the hero figure in this movie?" Godric asked me seriously.

"More like the anti-hero, I think," I said. "Luke is the real hero."

Eric snorted in disbelief, while Godric looked back at the screen with a frown.

Princess Leila didn't escape their scrutiny, either. "What is with her hair?" Eric asked, gesturing at the TV. "You cannot tell me people in the future think that would look good on any female?"

I sighed and decided not to argue that point. But the real problems didn't start until the fight sequences. Although both Eric and Godric expressed an interest in the idea of a light sabre, once the Jedi started using them, my vampires couldn't keep quiet.

"Oh come on!" Eric shouted. I was sure that if he'd had popcorn he'd have throw it at the screen.

"Their technique is very poor," Godric said, leaning forward to observe the fight a little better. "I could have decapitated either one of them a hundred times already."

Eric made a loud noise of agreement, and I bit my lip and tried with all my might just to enjoy the movie. Once the end credits rolled across the screen I looked at Godric expectantly.

"The little green beast wasn't in this movie," Godric said, his voice carefully neutral.

"No, you're right. He's in the second movie. And in the last three. He really kicks ass in those."

"Then we will watch the second movie tomorrow night," Godric said, and I turned to look at Eric, wondering what he thought of it.

"If this is the future for mankind, they're in trouble," Eric said vaguely.

"I doubt mankind will ever make it to the stars," Godric said, and he sounded almost wistful.

"How so?" I asked, looking at him in surprise. Godric was perfectly serious by the looks of it.

"Because they are squandering this planet's natural resources. They will have run out of them before they'll find a way to travel such distances throughout the universe."

I gaped at Godric. Apparently, he'd put some thought into this. Godric noticed my expression and smiled.

"Mankind's discovery of oil has made them foolish and arrogant," Godric said, while Eric nodded his agreement. "They care only for money and personal luxury, and don't seem to understand that with this many humans on the planet they will need to be very careful with natural resources until a more sustainable form of energy is available on a worldwide scale."

I swallowed. I'd always been concerned about the environment, and I'd always tried to live green as much as I could, but to hear someone like Godric say it so directly was quite disturbing. Godric had been around for a while, after all. He'd seen mankind's greatest triumphs and failures firsthand.

"So what do you think will happen in the future?"

Godric shrugged. "Either a pandemic will wipe out a lot of humans, or the climate will change to such an extent that it is impossible to produce enough food for everyone, and then there will be global famine."

"Huh." Suddenly, I saw my own future. My own, potentially very long future. "What will happen to us?"

"We're vampires," Eric said, unconcerned. "As long as some humans survive we will be fine."

"But this," and I gestured around the living room, "will all be gone then."

"You must remember these luxurious things have only been common for the last few decades," Godric said. "We vampires enjoy them, certainly, but we do not require them. I have lived for two millennia without them, and I can live without them again."

I nodded as Eric squeezed my thigh. "You shouldn't worry about that," Eric said, and I gave him a brave smile.

"I'm not worried," I said, and looked down. "I just realized I'll be around for a long time, hopefully, and that our future and the future of everyone is really uncertain at this point."

"But that's what makes it fun," Eric said, and pressed a loud kiss to my cheek, which made me giggle.

"We shall enjoy what we can for as long as we can," Godric said, and he kissed my other cheek, making me giggle even louder. "And when all this is gone we will still be here to teach you how to live without it."

"Come," Eric said, grabbing my hand to pull me with him as he got up from the couch. "Dawn is near."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The next night my vampires treated me to a repeat performance of the previous night, and I knew without a doubt that being filled by both my lovers at the same time was the best damn thing ever invented. I just couldn't get enough of it, which was why Eric and Godric fucked me like that again when I told them I wanted more after we'd already found our release. They seemed to be enjoying it as much as I did, so it was a win-win situation for everyone.

"We will go to Fangtasia to feed, and then seek out Lorena," Eric said as we finally got out of bed.

"Yes," Godric agreed as he pulled me with him into the shower. Eric was right behind us and we managed to make it work in the shower stall as we washed each other. "It is best to give Lorena as little time as possible with her new child before you make the Queen's demands known."

I frowned as I rinsed out Eric's hair, while Godric washed my back. Apprehension settled in my stomach. I just couldn't imagine Sookie as a vampire. I realized she must have woken up by now, as the sun had set two hours ago. What must Sookie be thinking? What would Lorena be doing to her?

Godric wrapped his arms around me from behind and pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "Do not concern yourself with what you cannot change," he whispered. "You will be taken care of, that I promise."

I swallowed against a lump in my throat and turned my head to kiss Godric on his lips. "Thanks," I whispered. Eric observed us with an amused smile and he winked at me when I looked up at him.

We made quick work of getting dressed, and once we arrived at Fangtasia we glamoured a couple of young men who were part of a stag party. We had our dinner quickly and efficiently, and then we were on our way to Bon Temps.

I sat quietly in the backseat of Eric's SUV. Eric was fiddling with the radio, while Godric had brought one of his ancient books along and he was reading it with a frown on his face, turning a page every minute or so.

"What will you do if Lorena refuses?" I asked after a while.

"Convince her," Eric said ominously. "By any means possible."

"If Lorena knows what's good for her she won't refuse," Godric said in a far more reasonable tone. "It is in her best interest to stay on the Queen's good side, especially because the Queen had already expressed an interest in the telepath through Compton."

I sighed and studied my hands as I looked down at my lap. I had no idea what was going to happen, and that worried me more than anything. We arrived at Bill's house before long and we silently made our way to the front door.

"Bite the girl, or I will kill her," Lorena said on the other side of the door.

"No." That was clearly Sookie, even though her voice sounded hoarse, as though she'd been crying for the last hour.

Eric pushed open the door, not even bothering to knock, and Godric and I followed him inside.

Lorena stood in the middle of the living room, looking clean and quite beautiful in a black designer dress. Bill sat on the lower steps of the staircase, his head in his hands. And in the corner of the room, her back pressed against the wall, sat Sookie. She looked filthy, dirt and old blood covering her face and clothes. She was still wearing her Merlotte's outfit. She must have come straight to Bill's house after she left Fangtasia two nights ago.

And on the couch sat a human girl, glamoured to within an inch of her life by the looks of it, and she was obviously meant to be Sookie's first meal.

Sookie looked up at us, bloody tears coating her cheeks, but she didn't say anything. My chest tightened as I looked at her, and I took a small step closer to Godric.

"Sheriff Northman," Lorena said pleasantly. "Have you come to meet my new child?"

"I am here as an envoy for Queen Sophie-Anne," Eric said, his face carefully blank. "The Queen had already expressed a firm interest in Ms Stackhouse, which is why she sent Bill Compton here to seduce Sookie on her orders."

Bill growled from his spot on the staircase, but one look from Godric shut him up.

"What?" Sookie said in a tiny voice.

Lorena started laughing. "Oh, this is just perfect!" She sauntered over to Sookie and crouched down before her. "Poor little Sookie," she cooed. "You have risked everything for a vampire who was merely following orders when he fucked you."

Sookie tried to look around Lorena at the staircase where Bill was sitting. "Bill, is this true?"

"Sookie," Bill said, and he sounded positively defeated. "I love you. Yes, it is true the Queen sent me here to procure you for her services. Your cousin Hadley is the Queen's favourite human, and she had told the Queen about your extraordinary talent. But you must believe me when I tell you that I fell in love with you almost the minute I met you."

There was silence for a moment as everyone took in what Bill had just said, and then Sookie discovered her vampire speed. She zipped towards Bill, her fangs out, and she clawed at his face and punched against his chest. "How could you? Look at me!" she shouted, her voice breaking with despair. "This is all your fault, Bill Compton!"

Lorena was at Sookie's side in a flash and yanked Sookie off Bill with force. Sookie flew across the living room and crashed into the opposite wall, plaster raining down around her.

"As your maker I command you never to hurt Bill," Lorena snarled, and Sookie shivered as her body accepted the command. I remembered that icy feeling from when Eric had given me the command never to glamour him, but that had been at my own request and I'd welcomed it. Sookie looked like she wanted to tear her own skin off in sheer frustration.

I glanced at Godric. I didn't think I'd ever felt this uncomfortable in my entire life. I didn't want any part of this. Couldn't we just go home? But Godric's face was blank as he looked from me to Eric.

"Well, this has certainly been entertaining," Eric said, though he sounded quite bored. "The Queen demands you keep Sookie available for her personal service, Lorena."

Lorena gave Eric a curious look. "But why? She is just a simple barmaid."

My mouth sank open. Didn't Lorena know Sookie was a telepath? Apparently not. Then again, how could she have known? When she came here, all she knew was that Bill had a human lover, and I was pretty sure Bill wouldn't have told her.

Eric released a brief chuckle. "Ms Stackhouse is a telepath," he said, and Lorena looked at him in shock. "Our Queen demands her services. But what else you do with her is up to you."

Clapping her hands in delight, Lorena turned to look at Sookie. "Oh, my darling girl, you are going to make me rich!"

I winced on Sookie's behalf. So that was to be Sookie's future? As a cash-cow for her maker, and a tool for the Queen. Then again, perhaps it would be her saving grace that she was actually useful. I doubted Lorena would hurt her too much. She wouldn't want to risk the well-being of her little money maker.

"I will contact the Queen soon to make arrangements," Lorena said with a charming smile. "Of course I'd be willing to let her use my telepath. It will be the perfect PR for anyone else who wishes to hire my telepath's services."

Sookie had started crying again, but I couldn't even look at her. And here I'd thought Jessica and I had been two sides of one coin. Little had I known there was actually a third side, and it was sitting right there on the floor. I again thanked my lucky stars for my own maker, who really was more interested in my breasts than in my magical talents.

"Good," Eric said, and gave Lorena a firm nod, which she returned politely. "I do ask you to keep a low profile while you are in my area. We do not want to attract the attention of human law enforcement."

"Of course," Lorena said with a coy look. "I'll be good."

Somehow I doubted that, but I wisely kept that opinion to myself.

Eric turned around towards the front door and we followed him out of the house. Once we stood on Bill's driveway, Godric stared at the cemetery. "I would like to see if Maryann is on Sookie's property," Godric said, glancing between Eric and me. "I have an idea of what she might be, but I would like to get a little more information first."

As soon as we entered the cemetery we heard the tell-tale sounds of a party in full swing. A party which seemed to be turning into an orgy. We stalked between the headstones in silence until we neared Sookie's house. We found a spot in the tree line and stood perfectly still as we observed the humans going at it in the backyard. I couldn't see Maryann anywhere, but I figured she was still inside the house.

It was just as smelly as the first time we'd witnessed it, and I wrinkled my nose. Suddenly, both Eric and Godric looked around, sniffing the air. Eric grabbed my wrist, his fingers closing around it like a vice. My body became rigid as I wondered what the hell was going on now.

"Well, what do we have here," Maryann said, as she sauntered towards us through the trees, a bald man at her side. "I don't remember inviting any dead people to my party, and yet here they are."

Eric and Godric's fangs clicked to attention, and mine followed suit just a second later.

Maryann stopped right on front of us, taking us in with a tilt of her head. "Tell me. Why are you here, vampires?" She pouted just a little bit. "You're not thinking of ruining my party, are you? Because that would upset me very much."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: Ah, busted! Now could three vampires take out one maenad? Who knows. We'll see tomorrow as I post the next chapter. Thanks for reading, everyone. And let me know what you think! Your reviews keep me writing.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

I stood rooted to the ground, every vampire instinct I had telling me to attack. Thankfully I was able to ignore those instincts, but only just. We had no clue what Maryann was, and thus we had no clue what would happen if we did attack. And my fellow vampires seemed to realize the same thing; neither one of them attacked, even though their postures spoke of a tension that readied them for battle.

Godric recovered first. His expression relaxed and he even gave Maryann a smile. "We have not come to disturb your party, I assure you. We were merely visiting friends across the cemetery, and we heard some noises so we decided to come see for ourselves what's going on."

I wanted to applaud him for being able to say all that with a straight face, while I knew his instincts must be screaming at him to kill this obvious threat.

"I see," Maryann said, and her shoulders relaxed just a bit. "I'm having a private party."

"Of course," Godric said, still smiling brightly. "We will be on our way and leave you to your fun." He tilted his head. "If you don't mind me asking, but what are you?"

Maryann laughed, and the bald man beside her started laughing, too. "I am a maenad," Maryann said carelessly, as though she announced her true nature to people every day.

"Interesting," Godric said, Both he and Eric had managed to keep their expressions blank, but I couldn't stop myself from staring at Maryann in astonishment. She was some kind of nymph? "We will be on our way. Enjoy the rest of your party."

Maryann smiled brightly, while Eric pulled me along with him as the three of us walked back across the cemetery towards the car. We didn't say anything until we were seated in the car.

"She's some kind of nymph," I said, leaning forward from my spot in the backseat.

"Oh, she's much more than that," Godric said. He seemed quite pleased with this latest development. "Regular nymphs are ethereal creatures who are bound to specific areas such as lakes or forests. They're fairly harmless, unless you threaten their life or habitat. But a maenad was once a mortal woman, made immortal by the god Bacchus as he granted them near divine powers."

"How do we kill it?" Eric asked, and he sounded quite eager to volunteer for that job.

"We don't," Godric said simply.

"Huh?" I leaned forward even further. "What do you mean, we don't?"

"She does not pose a threat to us," Godric said, and then added in a darker voice, "And she is very hard to kill."

"But she attacked Sookie," I said, astounded Godric could so easily dismiss this.

"Sookie is a vampire now, and maenads have no interest in dead things, only in the living. Sookie is quite safe." Godric looked at me over his shoulder. "Maenads are forever trying to contact their god. Maryann will perform a ritual, offer a sacrifice, and when no contact with her god follows, she will move on. That is their way."

"Oh." I sagged in my seat. "So we're just going to let her get away with this."

"I agree with my maker," Eric said in a firm tone. "If the maenad poses no threat to us and will move on shortly, there is no reason we should risk our lives to kill her."

Well, if he put it like that. "All right," I said, thinking this was all turning into an anticlimax of epic proportions.

"Did you suspect the creature was a maenad?" Eric asked, glancing at Godric.

"It was one of the creatures on my very short list of suspects, yes," Godric said and chuckled. "The orgies were a giveaway."

I stared out the window, pleased this was one less problem we had to deal with. But the moment I thought that, something else dawned on me, too.

Godric.

He'd come here to help us identify this creature, and dispose of it, which turned out not to be necessary. Did that mean he'd now be returning to Dallas? I knew he'd be returning eventually, of course, but so soon? He'd only been here for a few days, and we were finally all getting along. As it seemed, a little outside stress made Eric and Godric perfectly capable of sharing me without much possessiveness cropping up.

And now he'd be leaving again.

I crossed my arms and chewed on my lip as I stared out the window.

"Turid?" Eric asked, giving me a brief glance. "What's wrong?"

Of course he'd sense my distress through our bond. No use pretending everything was fine and dandy.

I leaned forward and put my hand on Godric's shoulder. "When are you leaving?"

"I can stay a few more days," Godric said, and at once relief washed over me. "We still have some movies to watch," he said with a smile. I leaned closer to kiss his cheek. "If that is acceptable?" Godric asked as he looked at Eric.

Eric nodded, but didn't say anything. Hm. Had some of his possessiveness already returned now that our problems had been dealt with?

"And I would like to see you practice your magic," Godric told me.

"Oh, crap," I said, and I wanted to smack myself. "I still need to cast the spells for Lafayette, to keep his mouth shut. I'd completely forgotten what with the whole Sookie mess."

Eric chuckled, and Godric looked at me over his shoulder. "Then we will watch you cast those spells."

"We need to stop at Fangtasia, but we don't have to stay there all night," Eric said. "We will return home early so you can cast your spells and we can watch that movie."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, feeling slightly better. Godric would be staying for a few more days. Yes, he'd be leaving eventually, and I knew that, but now I could still enjoy him for a while longer.

We arrived at Fangtasia to find Jessica helping Pam at the doors. And Pam didn't even seem to mind all that much. Then again, Jessica had improved her character and manners dramatically over the last few days.

"It is safe for you to return home now," Eric said to Jessica as we entered the bar.

Jessica nodded dutifully and then looked at me. "How is..." She bit her lip and stared at her shoes.

I shrugged. "As well as can be expected," I said, unsure how to describe the horrible mess we'd just witnessed.

Jessica swallowed, but still didn't look up at me. "I should have - "

I raised a hand to halt Jessica. "It's not your fault. Please don't think you could have stopped Sookie."

"I just feel bad for her," Jessica said quietly.

"Me too," I said honestly, and we shared a brief look before Eric reached for my hand and pulled me along with him.

Eric had some work to do in his office, so Godric and I sat out in the bar together, sipping on some AB-negative as we watched the crowd and talked about unimportant things. But because we were sitting in a booth and not up on the little stage, fangbangers had no problem approaching us, which quickly started to become annoying.

"Hey, I'm Sandy," said the fourth fangbanger in less than half an hour. This was a young girl who could stand to gain a few pounds. I could count her ribs beneath the black halter top she wore. "I've got the real thing," she said to Godric as she nodded at the bottle of True Blood in his hand.

"I'm not interested, thank you," Godric said patiently.

"You sure?" the girl asked with a small pout, and she actually tried to slide into the booth beside Godric.

"Fuck off," I snapped, my fangs clicking out. The girl looked at me with wide eyes and scurried off.

Godric reached for my hand under the table and gave it a squeeze.

I sighed. "Damn."

"What has you so upset?" Godric asked me with a curious tilt of his head. "It cannot be jealousy. You know I would not take up with such a human."

"I don't know," I said vaguely. Godric was right. It wasn't jealousy, not really. "It's just...people tend to treat us in two ways," I said, as I examined my own thoughts and feelings carefully. "Either they hate us on sight, or they expect us to sex them up just because they're offering us their blood. Every human I've dined on in here expected sex like it meant nothing. Like we're some sort of prostitutes who can be paid in blood."

Godric frowned as he considered that.

"It's like they forget we're people, too," I added softly.

"Yes," Godric finally said with a nod. "Ever since we've come out of the coffin, humans tend to view us in extreme ways. But you must realize that most vampires do not mind sexing it up with a human in exchange for blood. That is why these humans are now expecting it from all vampires."

I thought about Eric and all the human girls he must have fucked right here in Fangtasia while he fed on them. I closed my eyes and shuddered.

"You are thinking of my child?" Godric asked softly. Damn, but he always was way too observant for his own good.

"Yeah," I said, and I stared at the bottle in my hands. "He's one of those vampires who likes to sex it up with everyone. Or at least he used to be, and he's planning on going back to that."

"He told you this?" Godric asked curiously.

I nodded. "He said he expected his possessiveness not to last and that he would go back to fucking other women then."

"Hm." Godric leaned back in his seat. "The fact he's not fucking other women right now is quite surprising, to be honest."

"Huh?"

"Eric has never stuck to one woman as far as I know," Godric said with a little smile.

"It's only been a week and a half," I said darkly.

"That is still longer than I've ever seen him with only one woman," Godric said, and when he noticed my frown, he added, "You expect him to go back to other women soon?"

"I don't know," I said with a careless shrug, even though something clenched painfully in my chest. "I sure hope not."

Godric turned in his seat to look me in the eye. "And what if your possessiveness of him wanes before his does? Have you considered that?"

"It's not a matter of just possessiveness anymore," I whispered. "It's a matter of the heart. Besides, I still wouldn't be with other people because I've got you."

That made Godric grin and he leaned in to give me a soft kiss. "Yes, you do."

Another fangbanger approached us, this time a woman in her late thirties who could stand to lose a few pounds. Some parts of her body were bulging over her miniskirt in a way that was far from attractive.

"Fuck off," I snapped, before she could even open her mouth. She turned around at once and disappeared in the crowd.

Godric chuckled softly while I rolled my eyes.

"I don't think I could stay with him," I said after a while. "When he goes back to other women." The thought of Eric pulling any of these fangbangers, or anyone else, really, into his office for a feed and a fuck made me want to throw up, or possibly kill something.

"You will always have a place to go," Godric said, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders to pull me closer to him. "But I wouldn't write off my child quite so quickly, if I were you. His behaviour has been unusual so far. Who knows what will happen in the future."

"I guess," I said as I leaned into his embrace. "The problem is, I can't really talk to him about it. That one time we did discuss it, my goodness, it was like pulling teeth."

Godric frowned, as though he wasn't familiar with that expression. "Painful?" he finally guessed.

"Yep. And awkward. I don't think Eric is really comfortable talking about his feelings."

Godric sniggered. "No, to Eric emotions are still a weakness. But you must understand that for centuries this was true for all vampires."

I looked at Godric and bit my lip, wondering what he meant by that.

"For almost my entire existence the only thing that mattered was survival. Finding our next meal without being discovered. Finding safe places to rest during the day that couldn't be discovered by our enemies. We simply couldn't afford to become attached to someone we did not share a close bond with such as maker and child, and even for these bonds the attachments were limited. And any such attachments with outsiders were a direct threat to our existence."

"Oh," I said, because I hadn't really considered Eric and Godric's past in such a way before.

"But now the circumstances have changed," Godric said and he gave me a soft kiss. "People know of our existence, so we no longer have to hide it. We can now afford to become attached to someone else. You have helped me understand this." Godric kissed me again. "And perhaps, you can help my child understand this, too."

I pressed my face against Godric's shoulder and exhaled slowly. "I hope so. It must be terrible to live for so long without ever loving anyone."

"This is why most vampires make a child eventually. Without one, our existence can be quite lonely once we part ways with our maker."

I wondered if that was why Eric had made Pam, because he was lonely. But that wasn't something to discuss right now. "Is that why you made Eric? Because you were lonely?"

Godric nodded. "I longed for a companion, yes. A father, a brother, a son. Someone to share the centuries with."

"Wow," I said, because I could hear the deep affection for his child in Godric's voice.

"I had made a child before," Godric said, as his body went hard against mine. "When I was about two centuries old, I turned a young Greek man who'd been wounded in battle. But he did not survive."

"What happened?" I asked, shocked by this revelation.

"When he was about three centuries old he got involved with some werewolves in Sicily, running a few merchant ships. I believe they killed him, perhaps over a business disagreement."

"I'm sorry," I said and pressed a hard kiss against Godric's lips. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose a child like that. The idea of losing Eric, of our bond being cut off, was absolutely heartbreaking.

"So am I," Godric said, and hugged me a little closer. We sat like that until Eric entered the bar. He looked at us curiously as we pulled apart. Had he overheard any of our conversation? I sure hoped not. No, he'd been in his office, and we'd been in the bar where the music blared and the crowd produced their own loud noises.

I smiled up at Eric, and after a moment he smiled back. "Shall we go?" Eric asked with a gesture towards the front doors.

"We shall," Godric said as he pulled me with him out of the booth.

"I've called the Queen to let her know Lorena is willing to come to an agreement concerning the telepath," Eric said once he was seated behind the steering wheel of his SUV and we were on our way home. "She was satisfied with this outcome."

"That is good news," Godric said.

I grinned and ticked off the issues on my fingers. "Sookie mess, dealt with. Maryann mess, dealt with. Selling V, up and running. Is there anything I'm forgetting?"

Eric laughed. "A vampire's life is never without problems. Some new issue will come along soon enough. "

I ignored him. I was far too pleased we'd dealt with all our immediate problems. And my talk with Godric had eased my other worries somewhat, too. I now understood that Eric simply hadn't been able to ever form that close of an attachment with someone in his past. But things were different now. Perhaps he'd realize it was okay to love someone now, beyond the bond of maker and child. If he did have that realization, I hoped it would be sooner rather than later, but I knew I'd just have to be patient. This wasn't something I could force out of Eric.

Once we arrived home, I gathered my supplies and set up everything I needed in the living room. Eric and Godric seated themselves on the couch so they could watch me work.

"I've heard magic works better when the witch is naked," Eric said cheekily as I was drawing a circle with chalk on the tiled floor.

"You heard wrong," I said, without even looking up.

"Actually," Godric said, sounding just as cheeky as Eric. "I have heard it works better when the witch is dressed in naught but her lingerie."

"Oooh," Eric said, exchanging a big grin with Godric. "I had not heard that before. My child, perhaps you should try that."

I sighed. I knew without a doubt that if I didn't give them a little something they'd be bugging me all throughout my spells, and that would likely mess them up. So I unzipped my dress and shrugged it off. And for good measure, I kicked my shoes off, too. I was wearing a white lacy bra and matching panties. Nothing too naughty, but apparently still enough to please my vampires.

"Ah, yes," Eric said, his voice suddenly hoarse. "I can see what you mean. This looks like a most effective way to perform magic." He exchanged another grin with Godric, and then they both leaned back in the couch to enjoy the show.

I opened my spell book to the correct spells, threw all the ingredients in my little cauldron, and finally added Lafayette's hairs. I lit everything on fire with a match, and cupped my hands around the flames as I started chanting.

It was a three part spell, that would ensure Lafayette would be unable to speak of whatever I identified as a secret, which of course was the source of the vampire blood and who was making him sell it. The spells were simple enough, but I was still careful how much power I used now that I knew the demon really had increased my magic tenfold. I didn't want to accidentally blow us all up.

Once the flames had died down and my spells were done, I released a deep breath and opened my eyes to look at my vampires.

They were staring at me with heated eyes. Their fangs were out, but that wasn't the only thing that indicated their arousal. They'd taken their erections out of their pants, and they were stroking themselves slowly as they sat there side by side.

My vampires were masturbating while watching me do magic! I wasn't sure whether to laugh or yell at them. I rubbed my hand across the chalk to break the circle while I glared at them.

"Take off the lingerie," Godric said, and it sounded like a command more than a request.

I bit my lip. Seeing them sitting there like that, their erections obvious proof of how much they enjoyed watching me, did spark my own arousal. So I unhooked my bra and threw it to the side, and then slipped off my panties.

"Pleasure yourself," Eric said, as he squeezed his own erection a little harder. "Let us watch you come."

Heat pooled between my legs, and I leaned back on one hand, spreading my legs so they could see my wet sex. They both growled softly as I slipped a finger inside myself. I took my time as I moved my finger inside myself, only to then draw back and touch my clit, rubbing softly until my chest heaved and just before I reached my peak I stopped moving and slowly slid my finger back inside.

My vampires were growling louder now, and I repeated the whole process. Finger myself, rub my clit until I almost came, and draw back before I could climax.

It was absolutely exhilarating, doing this to myself while Eric and Godric watched me with narrowed eyes and their fangs showing.

After my fourth almost-orgasm, Eric couldn't stand it any longer and he pounced. Godric was not far behind. They ripped off their own clothes and Eric manoeuvred me to sit on top of Godric. He even held Godric's erection as I lowered myself onto it. I groaned and leaned back, but Eric was kneeling right behind me and pushed me forward, so I was lying against Godric's chest. Eric pressed his cock inside me inch by inch, right alongside Godric's, and I cried out in sheer need.

They fucked me hard, and my body melted between theirs as I bucked back as much as I could. Never in my life had I felt like this. Never had I felt so wanted, so needed, so possessed. I was theirs in every way possible, and I loved it more that I could ever explain.

I climaxed soon, and because they sped up their thrusts, my orgasm morphed into another, and then yet another, and I screamed with pleasure and growled with need, because I still wanted more. I wanted everything they could give me, and they gave me so much.

Eric came first and he bit my shoulder as he shuddered against my back. He remained inside as Godric thrust up harder and harder, and finally he found his release as well. He leaned up and bit my breast, and I sagged against him, my body completely spent.

"Guh," I said, and Eric laughed as he licked at my shoulder.

"You really enjoy this, don't you?" Godric asked with a grin, as he caressed his hand down my breast.

"You have no idea," I said, and I was feeling emotional and just a bit sappy from my recent orgasms. "This really is the best thing in the whole frigging universe, to feel you both inside me at the same time. Nothing can ever compare to this." I snuggled against Godric's chest and closed my eyes. "Gosh, I love you both so much."

Eric went rigid against my back, and not in a fun way.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: It had to happen sometime! Our emotionally constipated Viking is about to be confronted with the truth, but will he be able to handle it? We'll see what happens tomorrow. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	35. Chapter 35

_A/N: There is some non-con and slight hints of torture to be found in this chapter. Just a fair warning. _

Chapter 35

I froze against Godric's body as I realized what I'd just said. I closed my eyes. I didn't dare look at Eric, or even at Godric.

Eric pulled out of me roughly and I heard him get to his feet. "If you still want to watch that movie we should start playing it now, or it won't end before dawn comes." There wasn't a single emotion in his voice, and that scared me more than anything.

I'd have welcomed ridicule or fury before this total blankness.

I finally dared a peek at Eric. He was looking down at us, and his expression was as empty as his voice.

"Eric," Godric said, sounding as pleasant as ever. "What is troubling you?"

"Nothing," Eric said with a careless shrug.

"My child, do not lie to me," Godric replied, his voice tightening a little. He gently pushed me off him, and I knelt on the floor as Godric rose to his feet. "Tell me."

"She is still too human," Eric said, with a vague gesture in my direction. "She clings to useless emotions as though they mean something."

I gaped at him, my heart turning to ice.

"Emotions are hardly useless," Godric said as he stepped a little closer to Eric.

"She will grow out of them," Eric said, completely ignoring Godric's comment. "The sooner, the better."

"What?" I squeaked in utter disbelief. I'd just told my maker I loved him and this was how he reacted? Just complete dismissal of my feelings? I jumped to my feet and stalked towards Eric. My emotions were in turmoil, and I wasn't sure what to feel; anger, pain, disappointment, rejection, despair...they were all there, making my body tremble and my voice quaver.

I glared up at Eric, and I willed myself not to cry. "I tell you I love you, and you just dismiss it?"

"How you feel about me is irrelevant, because these emotions will not last," Eric said, his eyes narrowing. "I am you maker, and that is all that counts."

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't keep a few bloody tears from dripping down my cheeks. "So this is how it's going to be? I tell you I have feelings for you, and you just don't care." I stretched myself out a little further, so I could get into Eric's face. "Well, fuck you, Eric. _Fuck you_!"

And I stormed off towards the bedroom. I heard Godric and Eric talking in Old Norse, their voices slightly raised, but I couldn't care less.

I yanked open the closet and gathered my suitcases and duffel bags. I wasn't staying here for a minute longer. I could deal with an angry Eric, a horny Eric, a miserable Eric, or any Eric, except for this impassive jerk Eric.

Ever since I'd met Eric I'd been walking on eggshells when it came to my emotions, always afraid to push him too far, to anger him or to have him laugh in my face. But now the game was up, and never in a million years had I expected him to _just not care_.

I had no idea how to feel about this, how to react to this, so I did the only thing I could do, and that was leave this whole sordid mess behind.

I ripped my clothes off their hangers and threw them into my suitcases without much care for their state.

"Turid," Godric said, as he stood in the closet doorway. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving," I snapped without looking at him.

"You cannot leave your maker," Godric said patiently.

"Wanna bet?" I snarled, slamming one suitcase shut. "I am still my own person, and I am not staying with some jerk who just does not care about my feelings. And if you don't want me, I'll just find a new place to live."

"Eric, come here!" Godric called over his shoulder, just as I slammed my other suitcase shut. There were clothes sticking out left and right, but I didn't care one bit.

Just as I lifted both suitcases, Eric stormed inside the closet and glared at me. His expression was no longer blank; it held fury now, and little else. "Leaving with my maker, are you?" he said, his voice carefully restrained.

"I'm leaving, period!" I growled, and Eric stepped closer to me. "But what the hell do you care, anyway?"

Eric huffed, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "Just like you planned to do all along."

I dropped my suitcases. They both sprang open, clothes tumbling everywhere. "Are you still angry about that? We talked about that ages ago! We came to an agreement, that I would be with you both!"

"And yet now you are leaving with my maker," Eric snarled, his fangs clicking out. "I should have known never to trust a witch!"

I stepped back as though he'd slapped me.

"Eric, that's enough," Godric said. Eric turned around and growled at him.

"Take your witch and leave me alone!" Eric blindly grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt off the shelves and pushed past Godric out of the closet. I heard the upstairs door slam shut just moments later.

I sank to the floor and grabbed at my clothes, desperately trying to push them back in my suitcases. I was crying and drops of blood fell all over my clothes but I hardly even noticed.

"Turid," Godric whispered as he knelt in front of me.

"I just need to pack these clothes," I sobbed, my shoulders heaving.

"No," Godric said and grabbed hold of both my wrists. "You are not leaving."

"I am, too," I said stubbornly. "I'm not staying here."

"Yes, you are." Godric pulled me towards himself and squeezed me against his chest. I tried to pull back; I had clothes to pack! But Godric wouldn't let me go and he just held me and I finally gave up my struggle and buried my face against his shoulder and cried and cried.

My maker didn't care about me, didn't even want me. Or trust me. I loved him and he didn't care one bit.

Godric held me quietly, stroking my back and kissing my hair. When my sobs had lessened a bit, he carried me into the bedroom and sat down in the middle of the bed, pulling me into his lap.

"I don't want to stay here," I whispered. I wasn't sure how Eric and I were ever going to be okay again.

"But you must," Godric said, and cupped me cheek so I had to look into his eyes. "If you leave now, it is doubtful you will ever be able to repair this damage to your relationship with your maker. And be honest with yourself, my dear Turid. Do you really want to go without your maker for the rest of your existence?"

I didn't have to think about that long. The thought of not having Eric was still devastating, no matter how much I'd wanted to leave him only moments before. I shook my head. "I want him so much," I whispered, and had to bite back a few more sobs.

"I know you do," Godric said, kissing away a few of my tears. "And he wants you, too."

I snorted. "I doubt that."

"I don't," Godric said with certainty.

"Well, he's got a real funny way of showing it," I said with enough sarcasm to serve a small country.

"Yes, he does," Godric said with a chuckle. I glared at him, but Godric only smiled in return. "You must understand a few things about my child, why he reacted the way he did."

"I wish you would stop making excuses for him," I said. My anger hadn't dissipated completely just yet.

"These are not excuses. I'm merely offering an explanation. Or don't you want to understand what went so terribly wrong between you both just now?"

I said nothing. Yes, I wanted to know what had gone wrong between Eric and myself, but I didn't really want to admit that. If I did that, I admitted I cared about Eric, and I didn't want to care about him anymore.

Thankfully, Godric decided to rise above my pettiness. "I will tell you, my stubborn little witch." He shifted a bit so I was leaning comfortably against his chest. "You caught Eric completely off-guard when you confessed your feelings for him."

"I didn't exactly mean to confess anything at that time," I whispered with a little huff.

"I understand. But Eric didn't. I doubt anyone has ever said those words to him and meant them. No matter what feelings he may have for you, he simply didn't know how to react, and thus he reacted like he's been reacting to emotions for the last 1000 years."

"Just dismiss them," I said. I was calmer now. Yes, still angry and hurt, but calm enough to at least want to understand why Eric had done what he'd done.

"This strategy has always worked for him in the past, so why wouldn't it work now? Or so he must have reasoned," Godric explained patiently. "In his mind, he was doing nothing wrong, yet you reacted by betraying him."

"I did what now?" I said, glaring up at Godric.

"You threatened to leave him," Godric said, his eyes narrowing just a bit. He was perfectly serious in his response. "For a child to do that, it is a serious betrayal."

I wanted to protest, to say Eric had it coming, but then I recalled the pain I'd felt when Eric had walked out on my just now. "Okay, so maybe I overreacted a bit, but how was I supposed to react when I'd just learned my maker doesn't care one bit about me?"

Godric sighed. "How can you say that? Eric cares for you a great deal."

"But he - "

"He dismissed your emotions, yes, because that's all the knows what to do with them, but has he actually said he doesn't care about you?"

"Er..." I frowned. "Not in so many words..."

"Not in any words," Godric said with a pointed look. "Eric cares a great deal about you, yes, even loves you, and you need only look at the way he treats you to know that."

"Huh?"

"Turid, he treats you nearly as an equal, and yet you have only been his child for less than two weeks."

I thought about Jessica, and the easy way Bill had ignored her, and I thought about Sookie, and the way Lorena had just thrown her into a wall. And then I thought about Eric, who had treated me with kindness and humour, who had given me physical pleasure far beyond my expectations, who had complimented everything I did right, who had shown remorse whenever he'd hurt me, and who had kept me by his side, teaching me everything I needed to know.

And I'd just threatened to leave him for good.

"Fuck," I said, and Godric started laughing. I slapped him against his chest in sheer frustration. "How are we going to fix this?"

"Don't worry, my dear heart," Godric said and pressed a firm kiss to my lips. "Eric needs some time to cool off, as you just needed, and then he'll come home and you'll talk."

"I hope you're right," I said gloomily. My turbulent emotions had settled, and only now did I notice that the comfortable hum in the back of my mind was gone.

Eric had cut off our bond.

I started trembling, and at once Godric pulled me closer and stared into my eyes. "He cut off our bond," I whispered, as fresh tears seeped down my cheeks. "He promised me he'd never do that again. He promised!"

"I'm sorry," Godric said. "I'm sure he just needs time to examine his own emotions, and it would be difficult if yours got in the way."

Godric held me for a while longer as I cried quietly against his chest. I felt so lost without my bond with Eric, and I kept telling myself that Eric didn't want me anymore, didn't care for me anymore, because why else would he cut me off after he'd promised me he'd never do it again? But Godric kept whispering that everything would be all right, that my maker cared for me, and that he'd never leave me for good.

"Come," Godric said, pulling me up from the bed. "Let's get you cleaned up and ready for bed. Dawn is near."

I looked down my own body. There were red streaks all over my chest and breasts. Godric didn't look much better; I'd smeared blood all over his throat and shoulders and chest.

Godric got the shower going and washed me with gentle strokes of my favourite sponge. His touches helped me relax a bit, and I closed my eyes as Godric washed my long hair. I returned the favour, of course, and took my time cleaning Godric's body, before I washed his hair with gentle strokes of my fingers.

We dried off, and Godric got us settled under the sheets. I curled around his chest as he lay on his back, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"I will text Eric to let him know you will be here waiting for him tomorrow," Godric said as he stroked my back.

"He's not coming home tonight? Will he be okay?" I asked, suddenly worried something might happen to Eric. What if he'd done something stupid; he'd been so angry when he'd left, after all.

"Eric is fine," Godric assured me. "He'll spend the day at one of his safe houses, and tomorrow night he'll come home to talk to you, I'm sure."

I wasn't all that sure, but I didn't get a chance to worry anymore, because inevitably, the sun rose.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

When I came to the next night, Godic was sitting on the edge of the bed. He was fully dressed.

"Hi," I said, uncertain what was going on now.

"My dear heart," Godric said, and his apologetic tone made me sit up at once. "You will no like this, but I am returning to Dallas."

"No!" I said and crawled towards him. "Not now!"

"Especially now," Godric said as he wrapped his arms around me. "I care for both you and Eric, and I have come to realize that my presence here has disturbed your bond a great deal."

"That's not true," I insisted. What was he blabbering about? Things had gone great, hadn't they?

"You and Eric need to work on your bond together. And when you have built a strong and healthy bond, then the three of us can share. But last night's events have shown me that it is still a little too early for that. Besides, you and Eric need to talk about what happened last night alone. You don't need me for that."

"I need you," I said, and clung to Godric with all my might. "I need you so much."

"But right now you need your maker more," Godric said. "And he needs you."

"But I don't want you to leave," I said, and I knew I sounded petulant but I just didn't care.

Godric chuckled and rubbed my back. "It's not forever, my dear witch. We will visit again."

"How soon?" I asked, looking him in the eye.

"A few weeks perhaps. That's what we had initially planned, and I think we should stick with that."

I buried my head against Godric's shoulder and inhaled deeply. I knew there was no arguing Godric once his mind was made up. And I knew perhaps he had a point that Eric and I needed to talk about our problems together, but I still didn't want him to go.

"I have enjoyed our time together very much," Godric said, and cupped my chin so he could press a kiss to my lips.

"Me too," I whispered, returning the kiss desperately. Godric allowed if for a few moments, but then he pulled back.

"I've let Eric know you'll be here waiting for him, and he's let me know he'll come home sometime tonight."

"Sometime tonight?" I asked dubiously.

Godric shrugged. "He'll probably want to take care of some business at Fangtasia first so you can then have the rest of the night to make up."

I closed my eyes and checked our bond. It was still closed off. "All right," I said, even though I wasn't exactly convinced of a positive outcome at that point. But what else could I do?

"Will you see me to the door?" Godric got to his feet and picked up his duffel bag. I nodded mutely and followed him up the stairs. Once we stood in the backyard, Godric wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.

"We still have to watch the other Star Wars movies," I said, in an extremely lame attempt to make him stay.

Godric chuckled. "That will give us something to look forward to."

I buried my face against his throat and held him as tightly as I could.

"Call me if there are any problems," Godric whispered against my ear. "And I really enjoyed reading your letters. Will you continue writing them?"

"Of course," I mumbled against his neck.

"Would you like it if I sent you letters back?"

"Yes," I said at once, pulling back so I could look him in the eye. "I would love that."

"Then I will write you, my dear heart. But now I must go." Godric kissed me then, a long, deep kiss, and I moaned and pressed myself against his body, but Godric eventually pulled back. He took a few steps backwards and smiled. "I love you very much. Be careful and be good to your maker."

"I love you, too," I whispered around a lump in my throat.

And then Godric slung his duffel bag over his shoulder and he took off into the air. He was gone in less than a second, and I stared up at the sky but couldn't see any trace of him.

With a sigh, I walked back inside the house. While I was up there, I decided to check the garage. Bobby had returned Eric's Corvette at some point, and I was pleased to note they'd been able to fix the door without any problems (besides a hefty bill, probably). Eric's SUV and my little Toyota were there as well. Eric must have flown out of here last night.

I found some of our clothes in the upstairs living room, were Bobby had put them after they'd been dry cleaned. I decided I might as well take care of some menial tasks. I didn't have anything better to do, anyway. So I went downstairs and sorted through my clothes, which were still lying all over the closet. I'd dripped blood on quite a few of them, and I made a dry cleaning pile while I put everything else back in its place.

I changed the sheets on the bed and started a load of laundry. I did press my head against a pillowcase for a moment, to inhale both Eric and Godric's scent. I missed them both, but I was more anxious about seeing Eric again, for obvious reasons.

After that I decided I might as well take care of some cleaning, and I dusted the downstairs rooms, then vacuumed them, and finally mopped the tile floor in the living room to get rid of the chalk circle I'd left there the previous night. Finally I cleaned the bathroom, and then I wasn't sure what else to do.

I could clean the upstairs parts of the house, but I figured I'd done enough cleaning for one night. I glanced at the clock. It was only just after 10 pm.

And then I remembered that Eric had actually hired me to do a job, so I heated up a bottle of blood and settled in the living room with my laptop. I checked out Fangtasia's website; it was a fairly simple design, in red and black of course, but it looked stylish enough, and it held all the information it needed. I didn't have too much trouble setting up a blog with a similar design which could be incorporated into the website at a later date. But as I got ready to write a first post, I realized I'd need a couple of photos of Fangtasia as well, to make the blog look more attractive. There were no such photos on the website I could borrow. I'd have to get a digital camera and take some myself.

I had a simple digital camera, but I'd left it in Dallas. It didn't take very good quality pictures, however, so I might as well buy myself a new camera when I had the chance.

I glanced at the clock again. It was almost midnight. How long was Eric planning on staying at Fangtasia, anyway?

Just as I thought that, something else occurred to me. What if he was feeding like he'd always fed before? What if he'd taken some stupid fangbanger into his office and was fucking the stuffing out of her?

I jumped to my feet. Oh, I couldn't stand this waiting.

I got my purse and took out my phone to send Eric a text message. I knew Bobby had gotten him a new phone at some point, after Eric had thrown his old one against the wall after his conversation with the Queen, and I assumed his phone number hadn't changed. I typed a short, to the point message.

_When will you be home?_

It took almost five minutes (I checked on the clock) before I got a reply:

_Later._

I wanted to bang my head against the wall. Insufferable vampire that he was! Now that I'd considered the option of Eric fucking some fangbanger, waiting had just gotten a whole lot more unpleasant. I paced across the living room for a few moments, and then decided I couldn't just sit here waiting for Mr Insufferable to show up.

Oh, I knew it would be a bad idea to go to Fangtasia myself, even if I wanted to do that very badly. But there were other places I could go to do something useful.

I quickly looked up the location of a nearby 24h Wal-mart, and then rushed inside the bedroom to get dressed. Simple jeans and a t-shirt, nothing fancy. I picked up my purse, checked to see if I had my wallet and car keys, and then realized Eric had yet to give me keys to his house. I wouldn't be able to lock the door behind me.

Oh well. I'd only be gone for a short while. I doubted anyone would break in while I was gone.

I got in my little Toyota after I opened the garage door (which was unlocked, thankfully), and I drove straight to Wal-mart. The parking lot wasn't exactly deserted, but there weren't that many cars, either. I found a spot close to the entrance, and once inside the store I walked straight to the electronics department.

I looked over the digital cameras carefully, compared their features and prices, and after about half an hour of careful scrutiny I decided on a Canon for just under 900 dollars. It wasn't a professional camera by any means, but I figured it would be a good choice to take nice quality pictures for the blog.

I paid for my camera with my trusted credit card, and studied the box as I walked across the parking lot back to my car.

Just as I was fishing my keys from my purse, I heard the sound of a van door opening behind me. I hadn't even noticed the van parked there. I'd been too engrossed in my new toy.

But before I could turn around and see what was going on, something wrapped around my upper body and I fell to the floor screaming.

_Silver. _

Someone had thrown a silver net of sorts over me.

My purse and my new camera fell uselessly to the ground. I no longer had the strength to hold onto them. I smelled my own flesh burning, and I screamed louder. Please, let somebody hear me. Let somebody call the police! And then there were hands who pulled my body inside the van, and at once the door slammed shut and the motor roared to life.

The van pulled out of the parking lot while I tried to struggle. When I couldn't, I tried to pull all my power inside me and teleport back to Eric's house, but the silver paralysed more than just my body. It also paralysed my mind, drowned it in pain and fear, and I was unable to grasp my magic long enough to teleport to safety.

"Shut up," a male voice yelled, and a boot kicked me in my back. I kept screaming, though. How could I not, when my flesh was burning and my body was crippled. My voice was the only thing I had that still worked.

"She's got a nice rack," another voice said, and I felt hands on my body, pushing up my shirt, and then pulling down my bra.

_Eric_. I needed Eric!

"Fuck, man, that's disgusting. She's a fucking corpse!"

I tried with all my might to press against our bond that Eric was still keeping closed off. My goodness, would Eric still be able to feel my pain when he kept it locked like that? But I couldn't gather enough power to really shove against it. My mind felt like jelly, as did my body. I simply had no control over anything.

Hands squeezed my breasts far too hard, but the pain was nothing compared to the burning of the silver. I tried to open my eyes, but the silver net was wrapped too tightly across my face.

"You ever wonder what it's like to fuck one of them?"

"Corpse, dude! Corpse!"

"Yeah, but still. She's a fucking hot corpse." The hands kept squeezing my breasts and I screamed louder but that only earned me another kick with a boot. "Do you think their pussy is cold?"

"Ah, man. You wanna touch a dead pussy?"

"Sure, why the fuck not."

And much to my horror, hands began tugging on my jeans, ripping the button and zipper open. My jeans were shoved down to my knees and at once a hand touched my sex, a finger roughly exploring me.

_Eric. _I need Eric. _EricEricEric._

"Disgusting, man!"

"Nah, feels like pussy to me!"

The van came to a sudden halt, and the hand disappeared, finally. The door slammed open, and I was carried from the van. I tried struggling, but my body simply wouldn't obey me while my flesh burned. My voice was hoarse now from screaming so much and so loudly.

I was slammed onto something hard and my arms were pulled apart. Silver was wrapped around my wrists.

"What the fuck's he doing?"

"He likes dead pussy."

"Man, you gotta feel this." And with that, my jeans were pulled off completely right before someone spread my legs and silver was wrapped around my ankles.

I was lying spread eagle, completely immobile, and completely exposed.

"Check out her rack, man!"

More hands touched my breasts, squeezing and pinching, and then hands touched my sex, fingers pushing inside.

Please, _Eric_.

Finally, someone ripped the net off my face and upper body, and I carefully blinked my eyes open.

"Yeah, she's pretty for a corpse. Now get the needles, man."

Oh no.

_Drainers._

They were drainers.

I feebly tried teleporting again, but the silver around my wrists and ankles kept my body paralysed, and I simply couldn't gather up enough power. I looked around as best as I could. It seemed I was being held in some old warehouse. There was some trash lying around the hall, some old boxes and some pieces of plastic. And the entire hall was surrounded by tall windows, some of them broken, and I knew with certainty that they would kill me.

They'd drain me and they'd just leave me here tied up for the sun to find me in the morning.

_ERIC!_

I tried with all my might to push against our closed bond, and I felt a bit stronger now without the silver net around me. I pushed and I pushed, but I didn't feel it give way, and I doubted Eric could feel me.

And then something else occurred to me, such a horrible thought it made me shiver inside. What if Eric got home and found me gone, and he thought I'd left him for good, just like I'd threatened to do last night?

What if he just assumed I'd driven to Dallas once he saw my Toyota wasn't there?

Sharp needles were plunged inside both my arms, and I cried out. At once someone slapped me in my face.

No, I needed to focus. Eric would see there weren't any clothes missing. He's also see my laptop on the coffee table, with the Wal-mart page still opened in my browser. He'd know I'd gone out for a while, and he'd know when I didn't come back something had happened to me. And he'd open our bond and feel my pain and come looking for me.

Right?

They were draining my blood now, and I felt myself growing weaker by the second.

Eric.

I pushed against our bond, pushed and pushed and _pushed. _

Eric, _please_.

I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

I'm so sorry, Eric.

My mind became fuzzy, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

I love you, Eric.

There was not much left of me now. Without my blood, I was a hollow husk, incapable of life.

Godric, I love you, too. Why did you leave?

My thoughts became shadows, and these shadows filled me until finally the pain disappeared.

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**A/N: Boy, this was a tough chapter to write. I hope you all didn't have too hard of a time reading it. We'll see tomorrow what happens to poor Turid. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Something sprang to life inside my mind; a little spark, that turned into a candle, and then a campfire, and finally it blazed with the power of the sun.

For a moment, a brief moment, I thought dawn had come and I would burn.

But it wasn't the sun I felt. It was Eric, through our bond, pushing his power into me, his _life. _

Eric was coming.

I fluttered my eyelids open and finally got a look at my attackers. They were three young men. They couldn't have been much older than me. And they looked perfectly normal. You wouldn't know they were drainers if you met them on the street.

One of them noticed me, and he frowned. "Why the fuck is she still looking at us?"

And at that moment, Eric flew in right through a window, glass flying everywhere.

"Get the fucking net!" one of the other guys yelled, and a second later Eric dove on top of him and ripped his head clean off.

The two other guys screamed and tried to run, but Eric was much faster, and he grabbed one of them by the arm and then decapitated him, too.

"Fuck man!" the last one yelled, and I could tell from his voice he was the one who'd touched me, who'd insisted the others touch me as well. Eric didn't kill him, though. He did break both his arms and both his legs, before he let him fall to the floor. The guy screamed but I hardly noticed it.

Eric was by my side and ripped the silver bonds off me with his bare hands. He looked at me in pure shock; I'd never seen that expression on his face before.

"Eric," I breathed in sheer relief.

"Sshh," Eric said, as he carefully pulled the needles from my arms. He picked something up and ripped into it with his fangs. He cupped the back of my head so he could hold it steady as he pressed something against my mouth.

I smelled blood, and I realized it was my own blood.

"Drink," Eric said, and I opened my mouth as best as I could and drank my own blood. Eric threw the bag to the side once it was empty, and replaced it with another full bag, and I drank again. He repeated this until all the blood the drainers had taken from me was back inside my body.

I still felt weak, though. So very weak. But Eric wasn't done yet. He picked up the screaming guy and manoeuvred him up and over me until his throat pressed against my mouth.

"Drain him," Eric said, and he didn't have to tell me twice. I doubted Eric knew what this guy in particular had done to me, but I knew, and I felt a sharp surge of sheer satisfaction as I sank my fangs into his throat and drank as deeply as I could.

"Fuck, man!" the guy cried out. "Don't kill me! We ain't never done this before, I swear!"

"And you will never do it again," Eric said, as I sucked and sucked, the guy's blood slowly warming my insides. I felt his heartbeat slow down just as his cries stopped, but I didn't care. I knew they'd have killed me if Eric hadn't come to my rescue, so for once I didn't care one bit I was draining a human to the point of death.

The guy's heartbeat stopped eventually, and Eric pulled the body away from me while I licked my lips. It fell to the floor with a dull thud.

I still didn't feel like myself, but at least I felt like I might one day recover completely.

Eric helped me to sit up and pressed my mouth against his throat. "Drink from me, my child," he whispered, and I sank my fangs into him at once. I was still hungry, even after having drained an entire human. Once Eric's blood flowed across my tongue I moaned in pure pleasure. This was my maker's blood and it was the best blood of all. Eric let me drink for longer than he'd ever let me before, but at some point he did gently pull my mouth away from his throat. I leaned against his chest, licking my lips, and I noticed that all the pain was gone now. All the silver burns I'd suffered had healed, at least.

"What happened?" Eric asked me softly as he stroked my hair. I wanted to cry, but I did my very best not to. I didn't want to lose anymore blood.

"Wal-mart," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "Needed a camera for the blog. Van in parking lot. Didn't see them. Silver. No bond."

Eric held me closer and pressed his mouth against my hair. "I am so very sorry." His voice sounded oddly restrained. "I should not have cut you off."

"You promised," I whispered, because I needed to know why he'd cut me off after he'd promised never to do that again.

But Eric didn't say anything for a moment, just held me tight and kissed my hair and cheeks and lips. "I swear on my life I will never do that again, no matter the circumstances."

I wanted to believe him so very badly, but I couldn't. Not just yet. If Eric hadn't closed off our bond he'd have known the second I was taken, and he'd have come for me at once, and those bastards would never have had the chance to touch me or take my blood.

I hoped I could believe him some day. But now wasn't that day.

I was still weak and tired, and I leaned helplessly against Eric as he kissed every part of me he could reach. I must have zoned out for a moment, because the next thing I knew was Eric talking into his phone. I heard something about Chow and a cleanup crew and Pam and Wal-mart.

I did come to completely when Eric picked me up in his arms. We were out of the building and into the air in moments, and I clung to Eric with unsteady hands as I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, Dr Ludwig was looking at me, and as I glanced around I saw I was lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. Eric was sitting right beside me, holding one of my hands.

"She's well on her way to recovery," Dr Ludwig said with a firm nod. "But a little cocktail might be in order."

She disappeared out of view, and I looked up at Eric, wondering where I was. But Eric didn't say anything. He just held my hand and stroked my hair.

Dr Ludwig returned shortly and held a large glass of the sweetest smelling blood I'd ever had against my lips. I drank eagerly, draining the glass of every last drop. This was better even than Sookie's blood!

At once I felt better, so much better in fact that I threw my sheets aside and tried to get up.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eric asked, as he pushed me back against the bed.

"I'm going to fly!" I said with conviction. "I'm going to fly to the moon, and then to the stars, and I'm going to touch them all!"

Eric looked at Dr Ludwig with a quirked eyebrow. "You gave her fairy blood?"

"Just a little cocktail," Dr Ludwig said. "Mostly human, with a bit of Were and yes, a bit of fairy. It should do her good."

I cupped both of Eric's cheeks with my hands and pressed a loud kiss to his mouth. "I love you. And I don't care that you say you don't care, you insufferable man, because I know you love me, too. Even if you can't admit that because you're emotionally constipated." And I kissed him again, and again, though at this point Eric's lips had gone slack against mine.

Dr Ludwig laughed as she strolled out of the room.

"You need to rest," Eric said firmly, as he sat back. He kept one hand on my chest so I couldn't get up again.

"You love me," I said, grinning, and then I started giggling and couldn't stop.

Eric stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"See, you're not denying it!" I said, pointing a finger at his face.

Grabbing my finger, Eric leaned a little closer. "I do not even know what that word means," he said, and tucked my hand back under the sheets.

"I will teach you," I said, at once extremely happy to have that opportunity. "You are so old, and you don't even know what love means. That's so sad, but I will help you, don't worry. I know what love means, because I love you."

Eric sighed and stared at the ceiling. Dr Ludwig's laughter rang throughout the hallway.

I looked at Eric and smiled, completely at peace. "I love you so much. I love the way you look at me, and I love the way you adore my breasts, and I love the way you teach me everything I need to know, and I love the way you always hold my hand, like right now, see! And I love the way you lick me, because you have the most amazing tongue in the universe, and I love the way you share me with Godric - oh, and I love him, too - and I love - "

Eric cut me off with his lips, giving me a hard kiss. "I get it. You love me. Now rest."

"Okay," I said, because I was rather tired. I closed my eyes and zoned out.

When I came to, Dr Ludwig stood beside the bed, holding a tray with two glasses of blood and a couple of bottles of True Blood. I glanced around the room quickly. "Where's Eric?" I asked, instantly worried my maker had left me again.

"The sun only just set," Dr Ludwig said while she placed the tray on the table beside the bed. "I'm sure your master will be here shortly. Now, I need you to drink these two glasses of human blood. The True Blood is optional at this point."

I nodded, and accepted the first glass Dr Ludwig handed me. I drained it quickly, and immediately accepted the second glass and I drank it just as fast. I was pleased to note I could at least hold the glasses with my own two hands, though I still felt a little weaker than normal.

"Drink the True Blood if you get hungry. I'll be back with some more human blood later," Dr Ludwig said. She loaded the empty glasses on her tray and strolled out of the room.

"Thank you," I called after her when I remembered my manners.

This had to be the clinic Dr Ludwig had mentioned to me when she'd given me her card. Eric had taken me to the hospital. Had I been in such poor condition?

Memories flashed through my mind. Memories of pain and despair, and of Eric and blood. So much blood. And then the clinic, and Eric holding my hand, and -

Oh my goodness!

I clapped both hands over my mouth as I stared at the door. Had I really said all those things last night? Had I really professed my love again and again, and claimed Eric loved me, too?

Dr Ludwig had given me fairy blood, apparently, and that had certainly loosened my tongue. Godric had once told me fairy blood had an intoxicating effect on vampires.

Well, he'd sure been right, hadn't he?

I lay down against my pillows and pulled the sheet up over my head out of sheer embarrassment. And that's how Eric found me ten minutes later.

"Turid?" he asked cautiously, as he slowly pulled the sheet back from my face.

I looked up at him with a nervous smile. "Hi!"

Eric grinned, and then he started chuckling. "The fairy blood has worn off, I take it?"

In response, I pulled the sheet back over my head, and now Eric laughed, the bastard.

Dr Ludwig saved me as she stepped into the room. "Her condition is improving nicely," she said, and I slowly lowered the sheet again so I could look at her.

"I'd like to take her home tonight," Eric said, and for once he didn't sound like he was giving a command. He seemed genuinely interested in the doctor's opinion.

"That should be all right," Dr Ludwig said, and then gave Eric a stern look. "But she needs rest still, at least for a few more days. No hanky panky, Northman!"

Eric smiled charmingly at her.

"And she needs human blood, and lots of it. And if you are so inclined, giving her your blood would be good, too."

"That should be no problem," Eric said with a curt nod.

"She should be back up on her feet in a few days, but it may take a few weeks before she's back to her full strength." And now Dr Ludwig looked at me with a frown. "Take your time, witch. Don't rush your recovery."

"I won't. Thank you," I said sincerely. Dr Ludwig nodded at me and left the room.

"I brought some clothes for you," Eric said, holding up a plastic bag he'd brought with him. "Do you want to get dressed now?"

"Sure," I said, because going home sounded like a really good plan. Eric emptied the bag on my bed and then helped me into my clothes. He'd selected denim shorts, a powder-blue shirt and my flip-flops. No underwear, but I couldn't really care about that. Eric helped me sit on the edge of the bed, my legs dangling over the side.

"Ready to go home?" Eric asked as he studiously looked into my eyes. I nodded and tried to stand up but Eric was quicker. He scooped me up in his arms and proceeded to carry me from the room.

"Eric," I said in protest. "I can - "

"If you're going to tell me you can walk by yourself even after what the doctor just told you, I'm putting you back in bed and you can spend another day here," Eric told me with a hard look.

I wisely kept my mouth shut after that and graciously let Eric carry me out of the clinic.

As we passed Dr Ludwig, I said, "Thanks so much, Dr Ludwig."

Dr Ludwig stared after us. "A vampire with manners. Now that's a first," she said and shook her head.

I spotted Eric's Corvette, and Eric carefully put me down on my feet beside the passenger door. He kept an arm wrapped around my waist as he opened the door, and then helped me inside the car. He even fastened my seatbelt for me, which made me smile. I'd never seen Eric worry about seatbelts before. Eric got in behind the wheel and in seconds we were on our way home.

I stared out the window, unsure how to feel. I was happy Eric was here and didn't seem angry with me anymore, but I kept having these flashbacks that popped up for a few seconds each time. The scent of my flesh burning. The feel of fingers forcing their way inside me. All my blood draining from my body leaving me so very empty.

I heaved a deep sigh, and then remembered something else. I turned to look at Eric with wide eyes. "My car! And my purse! Shit, my credit cards were in my wallet. We need to - "

"Pam has collected your car and your purse," Eric said without looking at me. "Nothing was missing. She even found your new camera."

"Oh." I stared back out the window and wrapped my arms around my chest. More memories assaulted me. The complete feeling of helplessness. The inability to move even an inch of my body. "We never did train with silver," I whispered after a while.

Eric looked at me with a frown.

"When you made me touch that letter opener, you said you'd have me touch silver every day. But you never followed up on that."

"We have been busy with other things," Eric said neutrally. "Not that a few days of touching silver would have prepared you to fight off a silver net or silver restraints."

I stared at my wrists. I could still feel the silver burning my flesh. I could still _smell_ it. "I want to learn," I said so softly I wasn't even sure if I was saying it out loud. "I want to learn to fight off silver enough that I can teleport. I couldn't even do that last night."

"If that is what you want," Eric said, and he still sounded a little bit detached.

"You don't think it's a good idea?" I asked, confused by his response. You'd think Eric would welcome me learning to teleport myself to safety even under such dire circumstances.

"No, it is a good idea," Eric said, and shifted in his seat as though he was restless. "But I don't enjoy seeing you burned by silver. It was Godric's idea to do it in the first place."

"Ah." I looked out the window again, and thought of Godric. He'd made Eric touch silver each day for a year after he'd turned him, so it made sense he'd want Eric to do the same with me. Except Eric didn't like doing it to me, apparently. And thinking of Godric made me wonder why he hadn't sensed my distress last night. When I'd been taken at the Fellowship of the Sun, my rather mild distress had woken up Godric two hours early. And why hadn't I thought of Godric earlier? Maybe if a child was in real danger, the only thing they could think of was their maker.

"What about Godric?" I asked, trying to understand his non-response.

"It's best if we don't tell him what happened," Eric said quickly.

"Huh?" I turned in my seat to look at Eric. "You haven't told Godric? But he should have sensed my pain, right?"

"Why?" Eric asked, nonplussed. "You are not his anymore."

"But I've had his blood," I said, and my voice hitched with some mild hysteria. Godric should have sensed my pain! Why didn't he come for me? Or why hadn't he at least called Eric to warn him?

"You've only had his blood twice," Eric explained patiently, yet he sounded just a bit more pleased than he should. "When you were human. Then I turned you, and now I am your master. He shouldn't be able to sense you at all, but because his blood is quite powerful, Godric can still sense your emotions when you are in physical proximity of each other, but not across state lines."

I pursed my lips and did a mental calculation. Godric had left right after sunset, and I had been taken by the drainers well after midnight. Godric had been back in Dallas at that point, none the wiser I was in such peril.

"We should tell him what happened," I said, not understanding why Eric didn't want him to know.

Eric glared at me. "I am your master and I forbid you to tell him!"

I bit my lip, and I started trembling, and then I started crying. "Oh, fuck," I said, and I tried to scoop up the tears and lick them from my fingers. I was making a mess off myself this way, but I didn't want to lose anymore blood. I'd lost enough already.

Eric pulled the car into the garage, shut off the engine, and leaned back in his seat.

"Why do you want to tell my maker?" he asked, his voice tight. "So he can punish me for almost getting you killed, because I wanted to hurt you? He'll never forgive me."

"Wait, what?" I asked, staring at Eric in shock. "You wanted to hurt me?"

"Not like this!" Eric snapped. "You said you were leaving me, and I wanted you to feel my pain and the only thing I could think of that would hurt you was to cut off our bond."

I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders heaving with sobs. Eric had done it on purpose. Not so he could examine his own emotions, like Godric had suggested, but merely out of spite, to hurt me.

"I said I was sorry," Eric whispered as he unlocked my seatbelt and pulled me close to him. "I never meant for you to get hurt like this."

"But I did get hurt like this," I said, curling up in a ball. I couldn't return Eric's embrace.

Eric sighed against my hair. "If I could take your place, I would."

I wasn't sure if I could believe him, or if I should. But then I remembered Godric's explanation of why he was leaving. He claimed my bond with Eric wasn't strong enough yet, and that his presence wasn't doing it any good. Eric had acted very oddly, hadn't he? One moment he seemed okay with sharing me, and the next he'd get all weird about it. Was this what Godric had meant? That Eric wasn't ready yet? He'd certainly lashed out in a way that would hurt me, by cutting off our bond. He just hadn't counted on any possible consequences of his actions, like me getting drained.

"I regret cutting you off more than I can say," Eric mumbled, and I pulled back a little so I could look at his face. Eric's expression was one of anguish, of pain. He seemed genuinely remorseful, but I wasn't sure if that was enough at this point.

"We have to tell Godric," I said, staring into Eric's eyes. "This is too big of a thing not to tell him."

"Fine," Eric said, his face becoming stony. "You tell him, and he'll come down here and tie me up with silver."

I gaped at Eric. "He wouldn't do that."

"Ha!" Eric threw his head back in mock amusement. "I've known my maker for a lot longer than you have, and trust me when I say he can be a vindictive little bastard. He wasn't always this cool and collected. I've seen him do things that would have you run screaming for the hills, my dearest child."

"Well," I said, unsure how to respond to that. "I'll tell him I don't want him to hurt you. That it would hurt me if he did that."

"Hm." Eric looked away from me for a moment and then gave a vague nod. "You make sure to tell him that."

"Okay." I opened the car door to get out, but Eric was out of the car and at my side in seconds. I sighed, but let him scoop me up in his arms anyway.

"You need to feed first," Eric said as he carried me inside the house and down the stairs to our lair. "Pam has stocked the fridge with human blood."

Eric put me down in a chair in his office, and opened the little fridge. I looked around him to see the fridge held only a few bottles of True Blood and the rest of the space was taken up by blood bags, the kind you would find in a hospital or a blood bank.

"How did you get those?" I asked, as Eric took two bags out, ripped them open, and poured them out into a large glass.

"We have our ways," Eric said, and popped the glass in the microwave until it was heated, and then he handed it to me.

I grasped it with both hands and drank the blood quickly. It tasted so good. Not as good as the fairy blood cocktail had, but still very sweet.

"Do you want more?" Eric asked, once my glass was empty.

"Is there enough?" I wondered how hard it was to get this much human blood.

"Don't worry about that," Eric said, with a fair amount of irritation. "Now, do you want more?"

I nodded, and Eric fixed me another glass, which I drained quickly. I felt much better, much warmer, and I let Eric carry me to the bathroom without any protest.

"Let's get you cleaned up," Eric said, and he drew a warm bath, adding sandalwood oil. The smell of it calmed me, reminded me of so many good times I'd had with Eric. He undressed first me, and then himself, and he carefully helped me inside the water before he seated himself behind me. I leaned back against his chest and closed my eyes.

The memories were back, flashes of pain and anguish, now that I didn't have anything else to think about. "How did you find me?" I asked softly, because I really wanted to know that.

"I came home and you weren't there," Eric said, his voice impassive, but I didn't mind. I realized these memories weren't good ones for him either. "I saw your laptop and figured you'd gone out shopping. I opened the bond a little to see if you were okay."

"But I wasn't," I said, when Eric didn't say anything more.

"No, you weren't," Eric whispered. "I tracked you down as quick as I could."

I nodded. I knew the rest of the story already. Eric had wrapped his arms around me, and I placed one hand on his, trailing his fingers with my own. We sat like that for a while, Eric holding me close and me touching him softly. But then Eric moved a hand down my body and the moment it landed between my legs I shot out of his embrace, water sloshing over the sides as I curled up at his feet, my knees drawn up as high as possible.

"Turid?" Eric asked hesitantly.

"We're not supposed to do any hanky panky," I said, but that wasn't why I'd moved. I just didn't want to feel any hands there, not now, not yet.

"Did they touch you?" Eric asked, his face dark like a thundercloud.

I shook my head, and then I nodded. "They didn't - " I couldn't even say the word. "They didn't go all the way. Just touched me a bit. It was unpleasant."

"I should have taken my time ripping them apart," Eric growled, and I shrank back a little further, which made Eric blink and then sigh.

"Come here," he said softly, holding out a hand to me. "Let me wash your hair."

I looked at him for a moment, and then I accepted his hand and let him pull me closer. I knew Eric would never force me like that. An insensitive prick he may be at times, but he wasn't like that, and I knew that for certain. I dipped my head in the water to wet my hair thoroughly, and then relaxed as well as I could while Eric massaged shampoo into my hair.

"I won't touch you there again until you ask me to," Eric said, after he'd rinsed out my hair.

"Okay," I said, thinking that sounded like a good deal. That was, until I remembered yet something else from the previous night. "You won't go fuck fangbangers now, will you? Did you fuck a fangbanger last night?"

Eric looked at me with wide eyes. Apparently he hadn't been expecting that subject to suddenly prop up. "No, I didn't fuck anyone last night. And I already told you I'd let you know when I start fucking other people again. That hasn't changed."

I nodded, and then leaned a little closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. Eric smiled against my mouth. It seemed weird for me to worry about this after everything that had happened, but I couldn't help it. Thinking of Eric with someone else still made me want to kill something.

Eric washed his own hair; he denied my offer to do it for him, saying I shouldn't strain myself. After that we got out of the tub, and Eric dried me off quickly, and he kept an arm around my waist while I brushed my teeth over the sink. Then he carried me to the bed and tucked me in under the sheets. He got in on the other side and pulled me close.

"You cleaned," he said out of the blue. I nodded against his shoulder. "It looks good," he said, and he sounded a little unsure, as though he wasn't quite certain if he should pay me a compliment for it or not. I smiled up at him, and after a second he returned it.

"Oh," I said, as I looked at the closet. "I had clothes that need dry cleaning. Could you - "

"Bobby has already picked them up," Eric said. "You should have them back tomorrow night."

"Thanks," I whispered, and relaxed against Eric's chest. I closed my eyes, but I didn't have a chance to slip into downtime, because my phone rang. I sat up and located my purse on my nightstand. I pulled my phone out, and checked the screen. I had three missed phone calls, and they were all from Godric. And of course, it was Godric calling again.

I flipped the phone open and glanced at Eric as I held it to my ear.

"Hi," I said, in a very small voice.

"Turid," Godric said, and there was obvious worry in his voice. "Has something happened?"

I swallowed, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling now that I heard Godric's concern for me. "Please don't hurt Eric," I whispered.

Godric remained silent for a few seconds, and then he said in a steely voice, "What has he done to you?"

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**A/N: Uh-oh. Eric's in for it now! He really messed up this time. But you're all going to have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens, and to see if Turid can ever really forgive Eric for his mistakes. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"No," I said quickly, and then had to clear my throat. "Eric didn't do anything. There were - " I couldn't continue. I didn't know how to explain what had happened, because every time I searched for words to use all I got were _memories_.

"What happened?" Godric asked, and he no longer sounded angry or concerned, but downright frustrated. "Turid, put Eric on the phone."

I glanced at Eric, but he quickly shook his head 'no'. I sighed. "Look, I went to buy a new camera and some people took me."

"What people?"

"Drainers," I whispered.

There was a long silence. "How badly were you hurt?"

I had to think about that. "It hurt a lot at the time. But I'm okay now. The doctor said I'll be up on my feet in a few days."

"A few days," Godric said, and now he sounded hollow, as though every emotion had fled him. "How long did it take Eric to find you if it will take you a few days to recover?"

I bit my lip. "A little while."

"Put Eric on the phone, now!" Godric snarled, and I shrank back from my own phone. I couldn't recall Godric ever snarling at me before.

Eric snatched the phone from my hands, inhaled a deep, unnecessary breath, and held it to his ear. "Master."

Oh boy. From what I'd gathered from their relationship, Eric only ever called Godric 'master' if he knew he was in deep shit.

At once Godric started growling in Old Norse, and Eric listened to it for a few moments before he jumped off the bed and yelled back at Godric in Old Norse. And this went on and on.

I clapped my hands over my ears and lay down. I didn't want to listen to them fighting, even if I couldn't understand a word they were saying. But sadly, my vampire hearing was so good my hands didn't offer much protection from their verbal onslaught. I pulled my pillow over my head and squeezed my eyes shut, and desperately tried not to hear my two lovers trying to rip each other to shreds over the phone.

Finally there was a crash and then silence.

The bed dipped and Eric placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll buy you a new phone."

I pushed the pillow off my head and looked up. My phone lay in pieces on the carpet. Apparently Eric had smashed it against the wall. I didn't have the energy to get upset about it, though. I looked at Eric. "So?"

"So?" Eric repeated, as though he didn't have a clue what I could be questioning him about.

"What did he say?" I said a bit more forceful.

Eric's face grew blank. "He threatened he will take you away from me if I cut off our bond one more time."

"Oh." I swallowed. "Can he do that?"

"Yes and no," Eric said, not very helpfully. I glared at him, and Eric sighed. "No, he has no right to take you away from me, because you are my child. But yes, because he is my maker, and he could command me to release you. I would have to obey him. But I would not let you go without a fight. I would take it up with the appropriate authorities if he tried something like that."

I closed my eyes. I understood why Godric was mad at Eric - heck, I was mad at Eric for the same reasons - but I didn't want Godric to force me away from my maker. No matter I was mad at Eric, or had actually threatened to leave him myself, I still needed him. He was my maker, and ours was a connection that even Godric couldn't replace, even though I loved Godric with all my heart.

I reached out a hand and found Eric's chest. At once Eric wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. "I don't want him to do that," I said, pressing my face against Eric's shoulder.

"Me neither," Eric said, rubbing his cheek across my hair. "You tell him that. He might listen to you."

"I will," I said. Memories were propping up again, and I tried to think of something else to say. "What does that mean, actually? Releasing a child?"

"The maker controls the bond with the child," Eric said, and he sounded just as relieved as I felt to talk about something else. "And thus the maker has the power to loosen the bond permanently. It means the child no longer has to follow the maker's commands."

"Is it like when you cut off our bond?" I asked hesitantly.

"No," Eric said at once. "When I cut off our bond, I just...stuff a cork in it. When you release a child, you run a knife through it."

"That makes sense," I said and I had to actually smile at the image of the cork that Eric was painting. "So Godric has never released you?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Eric looked down at me, and he seemed puzzled for a moment. "It's just never come up."

"So you don't mind?" I asked, trying to make sense of this weird relationship between Eric and Godric.

Eric pulled me a little closer. "Not until today."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just closed my eyes and inhaled Eric's scent and after a while I zoned out.

Eric woke me sometime later and offered me another two glasses of blood to drink. I finished them quickly and then snuggled with Eric for a bit until I zoned out again. I didn't even notice it when dawn came.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Eric was waiting for me to wake up the next night. He immediately offered me two glasses of blood to drink and after I finished them, he lifted me out of bed and helped me into the bath. He'd already filled it with warm water.

It was strange seeing Eric in this mother hen role. Strange, but pleasant. Eric got in behind me, and washed my hair with soothing strokes of his fingers. I leaned into his touches and enjoyed the contact. Eric never took his touches further than that, as he'd promised the previous night.

After some nagging on my part, Eric let me wash his hair, and as always I enjoyed these moments of simple intimacy. We stayed in the tub for a while longer after we were both washed.

On some level, I was incredibly grateful for the care Eric was giving me, for the obvious concern he had for me, but on some other level I couldn't stop blaming him just a little bit.

If he hadn't cut off our bond, this wouldn't have happened.

And if I hadn't threatened to leave him, he wouldn't have cut off our bond.

I bit my lip the moment I realized that. But it was the truth, wasn't it? I had betrayed Eric by threatening to leave him, and Eric had betrayed me right back by cutting off our bond.

We'd both royally fucked up.

I turned a little in Eric's embrace so I could look at him. "I'm sorry I threatened to leave you. I didn't mean it. Not really. I don't want to leave you."

Eric looked at me with a calm gaze and then he smiled. "Apology accepted. Now will you accept my apology in return? That I truly regret cutting off our bond?"

"All right. Apology accepted." It was the right thing to do, no matter what had happened. It wouldn't fix everything straight away, but at least it put us on the right track to true forgiveness.

"We were both angry, and we both did things we shouldn't have," Eric reasoned, and then he frowned. "Though I still do not understand why you suddenly threatened to leave me."

I had to bite back a giggle for a moment. Eric really looked nonplussed. But how to explain this without it resulting in another breakdown? Should we just ignore what happened, pretend I never admitted my feelings and Eric completely blew me off? No, no matter how much this scared me, I knew we had to talk about this, and Eric was making an effort to do so, in his own bizarre way.

"Eric," I said softly. "What upset me so much is that I told you I love you and you just ignored my feelings. That hurt, and I reacted badly to that."

"Hm." Eric tilted his head to give me a better look. "So you love me," he said, and he sounded like he didn't quite believe it. "But why?"

I snorted with laughter. I couldn't help it. Partly because Eric could be as clueless as Godric at times, and partly because some tension between us, that had been there ever since my confession, just vanished in a wave of relief. "I don't know," I said, pushing against him a little bit. "I just do."

"You just do," Eric said, and grinned. "And here I thought it was because I have the most amazing tongue in the universe. Your words, not mine."

I buried my face against his shoulder, giggling madly. "I was intoxicated! I cannot be held responsible for anything I said at that time."

"Right," Eric said, and nipped at my earlobe. "So I should not have ignored your feelings," he said, and it sounded like he had trouble finding the right words to say. "I should have said it pleases me that you love me?"

I pulled back in surprise. "Does it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes, it does," Eric said, his expression now merely curious. "Does that please you?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling my most goofy smile. "See how easy that was," I said, because I couldn't resist. "None of that 'it doesn't matter' bullshit, just simply accepting it graciously."

Eric snorted. "I will keep that in mind from now on."

"Okay. And then I won't pack my bags anymore just because you're being insensitive."

Eric sighed but didn't comment. When I looked up at him he looked back at me with a quirked eyebrow, as though he wasn't sure this entire conversation had been necessary in the first place. But I didn't mind. At least he was trying, and that meant something. No, that meant a lot.

"Thank you," I whispered, snuggling closer to him.

"For what?"

"For making an effort." I gave him a soft kiss.

"You're welcome," Eric said, and automatically slipped his hand down my side and cupped my butt. But the second he did it, his body tensed and he quickly withdrew his hand. "I did not mean to - "

"It's okay," I assured him. "I'm not made of glass. I just need a bit of time to make sense of all that's happened. Then we'll go back to the hanky panky, I promise."

"Good," Eric said, and gave me a tight little hug. "I can't wait."

I laughed at the eagerness in Eric's voice, and Eric grinned in response. Yeah, some trust had been broken between us, but at that moment at least it looked like we'd be able to fix it in time. And that was the biggest relief of all.

We'd be all right, eventually.

We snuggled for a while longer until finally Eric helped me out of the bath. He dried me off with a big fluffy towel and I let him, waiting patiently for him to finish. I did notice I stood quite steady on my own two legs now, much more so that I had done the day before.

"Look," I said, because I thought this was something Eric should know, too. "I can stand up on my own now. So when will you let me out of bed?"

Eric gave me a dubious look as he turned the towel over and dried himself off. "When you're not this tired anymore."

"I'm not tired," I protested quickly, though I was a little bit tired, but honestly, what did that matter?

"I can feel you through our bond, my dearest child," Eric said, leaning closer so he could look me in the eye. "And you are still tired. So you're going back to bed. We'll see how you feel tomorrow."

"Fine," I said, and I didn't protest when Eric scooped me up in his arms and returned me to bed. Eric stayed with me until I zoned out again, which didn't take very long. Perhaps I was still more tired that I thought I was.

When I came to again some time later, I noticed someone lying beside me but at once I knew it wasn't Eric. The scent was all wrong; it was way too feminine.

"You silly little witch," Pam said beside my ear. "Getting yourself drained like that."

Pam was lying beside me on the bed, her arm draped across my waist. I looked at her in surprise.

"Hey, Pam," I said. "Where's Eric?"

"Aww, missing your master already?" Pam teased with a wicked smile. "You do always follow him around like a little puppy. It's so cute."

I glared at her and tried to get up, but Pam pushed me back down at once.

"No, you are to stay in bed. I have my orders." Pam sat up herself and looked down at me. "Eric had some business to take care off. He should return in an hour or two."

"And now you're my babysitter?" I asked with a grin.

"I'm here to make sure you don't run off and straight into the arms of more drainers," Pam said, and slid off the bed. I stared after her as she disappeared into Eric's office. I heard some rustling of plastic and then the beeping of the microwave. A minute later Pam returned holding a large glass of blood.

"Here," Pam said as she handed me the glass. She let me sit up now, at least. "So you won't starve under my watch."

"Ah, Pam, I didn't know you cared," I teased, and took a large gulp from my glass.

Pam shrugged as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "It upsets my maker when you are hurt, and I do not like to see him upset."

Well, at least she was honest. As I drank my blood I realized this was the first time Pam and I had been alone in a room together. Also, we'd never said this much to each other before. I was curious about her, and I imagined she was curious about me, too.

"Were you very surprised, when Eric brought me home?" I asked as I finished my glass.

Pam let out a bark of laughter. "Very. I had not expected him to make another child so soon."

"Well," I said with a smile. "It wasn't exactly a planned event."

"Yes, Eric told me what happened," Pam said and gave me an intense look. "But you really are his type, so I imagine it wasn't that big of a hardship for him to turn you."

I frowned. "His type?"

"Powerful. Beautiful. Submissive," Pam said impassively. "And far too much trouble."

I huffed in response, and Pam offered me a dazzling smile.

"Well, at least you got his mind off that telepath," Pam said after a moment. "I imagine she'd have been even more trouble, stubborn little human that she is."

"Was," I corrected her softly. "She isn't human anymore."

"No, now she's Lorena's child," Pam said, and giggled as though she'd never heard anything funnier in her long life. "That poor little lamb."

"Yeah," I agreed quietly. I'd been so concerned with myself for the last few days I hadn't thought about Sookie at all. But now that Pam had brought her up, I couldn't stop wondering how she was doing.

"Now you must rest," Pam said, and snatched the empty glass out of my hands. She placed it on my nightstand, and then stretched out beside me, again wrapping an arm around my waist.

It was strangely comfortable, to lie so close to Pam, my nose lying only half an inch from her throat. Was this because we shared a maker? We were sisters, at least in blood. I closed my eyes and thought about it until I zoned out once again.

The next time I came to Eric was sitting beside me on the bed, fully dressed, and looking down at me with a big grin. "I've brought you some presents. Pam has assured me this is the proper thing to do when someone is recovering from an illness."

I giggled at Eric's strange enthusiasm and sat up. Eric immediately handed me a box wrapped in red paper.

"Thank you," I said, and carefully unwrapped my present. It was a new cell phone, and it was a much fancier model than my old one.

"Do you like it?" Eric asked expectantly.

"Yes," I said, as I pulled open the box and took out my new phone. It was red, and I smiled up at Eric.

"It is a much better one than your old one, which was far too simple," Eric stated, and I knew he meant well so I took no offence at his words. It really was a nice phone, and I leaned over to kiss Eric on his lips.

"Thank you," I whispered sincerely.

"I get kisses for this?" Eric asked, perking up. "I must bring you presents more often."

I giggled madly, and then slapped him against his shoulder. "Like you don't get enough kisses already."

"There is always room for more," Eric said, and handed me my next present after I tucked my phone back into its box.

I tore off the paper and was surprised to see a whole stack of DVDs, eight or so in total. I blinked as I looked at the titles. A Nightmare on Elm Street. Evil Dead. The Thing. Aliens (that one made me smile). Dawn of the Dead. Halloween. Scream. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

"Wow," I said, staring in utter astonishment at the DVDs in my hand. "You're really trying to cheer me up, aren't you?"

"Yes," Eric said, beaming. He'd completely missed the sarcasm in my voice. "You obviously like watching movies, so I thought I'd get you some more movies we can watch together."

I bit my lip so I wouldn't break down laughing. I liked horror movies well enough and had seen all of the DVDs at least once already. But it just amused me to no end that Eric figured giving me horror movies after I'd been captured and tortured was a good idea. Well, at least he was trying.

"Was there a sale on horror movies?" I asked innocently.

"Yes," Eric said, obviously surprised I'd guessed that. "They were four for twenty dollars. I can get more if you want, but these sounded like the most interesting ones."

"These are great," I said, and leaned over to give him another kiss, much to Eric's satisfaction. "Thank you."

"Which one would you like to watch?" Eric asked, eagerly looking at the DVDs in my hand.

I sorted through them again and finally held up 'The Thing'. "This one. I haven't seen it in ages, and it's pretty good."

Eric nodded, snatched the DVD from my hand, and jumped off the bed. "Wait here." And with that he disappeared from the bedroom, only to return a few minute later. He scooped me up and carried me to the living room. He'd build us a little nest on the couch with some pillows and blankets, and on the coffee table stood a glass of human blood and a bottle of AB-negative waiting for me.

And at that moment I wondered why I'd ever thought he was an insensitive prick. Clueless occasionally, yes, but I couldn't think of him as insensitive anymore, not now he was obviously trying so hard to make me happy.

We settled on the couch together, Eric pulling me close, and he pushed a button on the remote control to start the movie. We watched it in silence for the most part, and it was as good as I remembered it to be. Eric enjoyed it a lot, too, and got very enthusiastic every time the thing showed itself in all its gory glory.

And I was surprised that seeing all the blood and gore didn't affect me one bit. I'd been worried that maybe after my traumatic encounter with those drainers it might upset me, but it didn't. Then again, seeing an alien harass a couple of researchers in Antarctica didn't have much in common with being tied to a table with silver and having your blood drained.

"Did you enjoy it?" Eric asked me once the credits rolled across the screen.

"Yep," I said, and turned my head to give him a kiss. "It's still a very good movie."

"It was very funny," Eric said with a happy smile. I shook my head in amusement, and let Eric carry me back to bed. He made me drink another glass of blood, and then snuggled with me until I zoned out for the rest of the night.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The next night was spent in a similar fashion as the previous one, except Eric didn't leave me to Pam's care for a few hours but stayed with me the whole time.

He gave me a bath, made sure I drank my blood, and when it was time to watch another movie, he held up 'Aliens' and looked at me with his best puppy dog eyes.

"All right," I said and giggled while Eric grinned in triumph and got the DVD player going. But just at that moment, a phone rang, and it took me a few seconds to realize it was my new phone.

Eric had programmed it for me while I'd zoned out the previous night. He'd added all relevant phone numbers to my contact list, downloaded a few funny ring tones, including Star Wars' Imperial March, which made me giggle madly, and he'd installed a close-up picture of himself grinning with his fangs out as my background.

"I'll get it," Eric said, and zipped to the bedroom with vampire speed to retrieve my new phone.

I checked the display before I answered. Godric, which wasn't a surprise.

"Hi," I said nervously. I hadn't talked to him since he'd had his fight with Eric.

"How are you feeling?" Godric asked. What? No 'my dear heart'? Was he angry at me, too?

"Much better," I said, and then added pointedly. "Eric's taking really good care of me."

"Good," Godric said. He didn't sound angry, but with him you never could tell. "I'm glad to hear that."

I sighed. "Look, we both fucked up, and we've both realized that. I don't want you to try to take me away from him, okay?"

Godric laughed. "So you have talked about it? About everything?"

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. "We talked and we're good."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

I blinked. Was this one of Godric's little schemes again? Push Eric to the point he felt he had to talk to me about everything? Ugh. Godric could be so sneaky sometimes.

I shared a dubious look with Eric just as Godric asked, "When do you expect to be up and running again?"

"Soon enough," I said, ignoring Eric's glare. "I really am recovering well."

"And will you start training with silver now?"

"Yes," I said at once. "I want to learn to teleport even when I'm touching silver."

"That is a very good idea," Godric said and he started sounding like himself again. We talked for a few more minutes and I told Godric about the movies Eric had gotten for me, which made him laugh, and when we said our goodbyes I was feeling much better about my other boyfriend again.

"Meddling little prick," Eric muttered as I placed my phone on the coffee table. I snorted with laughter, but Eric ignored me and started the movie. It turned out to be an even bigger hit than The Thing with Eric, and I enjoyed it a lot, too.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

The next night, right after my bath, Eric's phone rang.

"Yes," Eric said as he held it to his ear.

"There are some humans here to see you," Pam said on the other end. "You and your little witch."

"What do they want?" Eric asked, while I looked up at him in surprise.

"They want to talk to you both about the telepath."

Eric blinked. "We'll be there in half an hour." And with that he shut his phone and looked at me. "Are you feeling well enough to go to Fangtasia for a short while?"

"Yes," I said with an eager nod. As much as I enjoyed Eric's care and fussing, going out for a bit sounded really good.

"Then we'll go and see what that's all about," Eric said. He got dressed in black jeans and a blank tank top, and then helped me in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. We took the Corvette and were at Fangtasia in no time. Eric let me walk inside the bar on my own, much to my relief, but he did hold my hand tightly.

I scanned the crowd and wondered who wanted to talk to us about Sookie. But I didn't have to wonder for very long, because there, in a corner booth, sat Sam, Lafayette and Jason. And they got to their feet at once when they spotted Eric and me.

Jason rushed up to us, getting right in our faces, which made Eric tense up and me squeeze his hand in response.

"What have you done with her?" Jason demanded. "What have you fucking vampires done to my sister?"

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: The Sookie mess hasn't been dealt with completely, as it turns out. We'll see how that goes soon. Probably tomorrow, but it might be the day after that. I'll do my best to write it as quickly as I can. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! And let me know what you think. Your reviews keep me writing!**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

"Jason," I said quietly, in an attempt to calm him. If Eric decided to rip Jason to pieces now, I didn't have the energy to divert his attentions like I had done last time. "Let's talk."

"Outside," Eric added with a growl.

Jason looked between Eric and me and nodded. Sam and Lafayette were right on our heels as we walked out the bar. We didn't stop until we were at the end of the parking lot where no one could overhear us.

"What the fuck did Compton do to my sister?" Jason asked once we stood in a small circle.

"She hasn't shown up for work in days," Sam said as he crossed his arms. "That's not like her."

I blinked. They didn't know Sookie had been turned yet. I shared a glance with Eric, but he looked completely unconcerned. In fact, he looked as though he didn't care whether these humans ever learned what happened to Sookie or not. It was up to me to do the explaining, apparently.

"I know she's hiding out with Compton," Jason said. "And Tara has invited this Maryann woman to live with her in Sookie's house. And nobody explains a damned thing to me."

"Something happened to Sookie," I said carefully.

"Is she okay?" Jason asked at once. "What the fuck happened? Tell me!"

Lafayette put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "If you shut your blabbermouth, Jase, I'm sure the baby vampire here will do some explaining."

I looked at Lafayette. His little light had come on in my mind the moment I'd stepped in Fangtasia. I knew he was apprehensive of the situation, scared of us and very worried for Sookie.

"Yes, I will explain," I said, and added quickly. "But you must promise to let me finish and not fly off the handle until I'm done."

Jason looked like he wanted to protest, but Lafayette squeezed his shoulder. Sam stared at me with narrowed eyes but gave a small nod anyway.

"Bill's maker, a vampire named Lorena, came to town to visit Bill. Sookie wasn't happy about this, because Bill and Lorena had been lovers for many decades. We warned Sookie to stay away from Lorena, but Sookie didn't listen and confronted Lorena anyway, tried to stake her, in fact. Lorena...she returned the favour. And then she turned Sookie." I bit my lip and waited for the shit to hit the fan.

"What?" Jason said, his mouth hanging open. "_WHAT_?"

"Sookie's a vampire?" Sam asked, and for a moment he looked like he might burst into tears.

"Ah, shit," Lafayette said, and then wrapped his arm around Jason's chest to hold him back when it looked like Jason might try to take a swing at Eric and me. "Man, you don't wanna piss off these vampires, trust me."

"But..." Jason hung his head and his legs gave out. Lafayette lowered him to the ground.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, because I really was. Eric still looked like he couldn't care less, though, but I ignored him.

"Fuck you!" Jason yelled from his spot on the concrete, his eyes blurred with tears.

"How do we get her back?" Sam asked with a certain hint of determination in his voice.

"You don't," I said quickly. "Sookie belongs to Lorena now, and Lorena is...well, she's nuts. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"She's my sister!" Jason struggled back up to his feet, though Lafayette kept a hand wrapped around his upper-arm, to keep him from going after us. "I ain't just giving up on her!"

"Then Lorena will kill you," Eric said, having finally decided to join the conversation. "

"I'll stake that bitch!" Jason snarled.

"Just like your sister tried to do, and look what happened to her," Eric said matter-of-factly, and Jason lunged at him but Lafayette was stronger and held him back. Eric merely grinned in response, though his fangs were showing.

"Look," I said, holding up both hands to ward off further aggression. "Your best bet is to find a way to talk to Bill."

"Why the hell would we wanna talk to that bastard?" Jason demanded. "He's the one who dragged my sister into all this shit."

"Yes, but he's also strong enough to hold off Lorena, at least for a while, and he's also really unhappy with what happened to Sookie. He's your best shot to fix this situation if you really want to give it a try."

Sam nodded. He seemed to accept this solution a lot better than Jason did, but then again, Sam was a shifter, so he was far more knowledgeable about supernatural affairs. Jason was just human, and not a very bright human at that.

"Also, you might want to stay away from Maryann," I added, hoping to do them all a favour. "She's a maenad and wants to do this whole sacrifice a person thing before she'll move on."

Sam looked at me with wide eyes. "And do you happen to know how to get rid of a maenad? Permanently?"

"They are very hard to kill," Eric said and shrugged. "The best you can do is stay out of her way and wait for her to have made her sacrifice. She will leave then."

"Yeah," Sam said with a pinched expression on his face. "Problem is, I think I may be that sacrifice."

"That sucks," I said sincerely. "Maryann is immortal and has these near divine powers or something." I frowned and tried to remember everything Godric had told us about maenads in the car. "The only time she'll be mortal again and thus can be killed, is when her god comes for a visit, but the problem is, he never does. So unless you can send Bacchus an engraved invitation to join the party you're shit out of luck."

Sam frowned and looked down at his shoes. His best bet was probably to just get the heck out of town, at least for a while, but I had a feeling he wasn't going to do that, not when Sookie might need his help. Oh well. That was his problem. Eric and I had enough problems of our own.

"Thanks," Sam whispered, surprising both me and Eric by offering us his gratitude. Sam looked at Lafayette and Jason and gave them a nod. I guess they'd gotten what they came for. Jason glared at us, his cheeks wet with tears, but I couldn't really blame him for that. He'd just learned his sister had been killed and turned. It wasn't surprising in the least he wasn't feeling all that happy about vampires in general. Lafayette led him away towards Sam's car.

"Come," Eric said, grabbing my hand. "You need your rest."

I wanted to protest, but honestly, I was tired. I just didn't like being so weak. Ever since I'd been turned, I'd felt so incredibly strong, like nothing could ever harm me. Boy, had I been proven wrong on that one. So I let Eric pull me along to his Corvette.

Once we pulled out of the parking lot I turned to look at Eric. "Do you think they'll stand a chance against Lorena?"

"If they can get Bill's help, then maybe," Eric said, staring straight ahead.

I bit my lip. "And if they do manage to kill Lorena, are you going to punish them?" I thought that would be totally unfair, but hey, I was no vampire Sheriff.

"As long as they don't come into my bar to boast about it, I might be able to let is slide," Eric said smoothly, and then grinned at me.

"You want her gone, too?" I asked, pleasantly surprised.

Eric nodded. "I never wanted Lorena to take up permanent residence in my area. She was welcome to come for a visit, to teach that child of hers some manners, but no more than that. She's far too unstable. She'll only cause trouble."

"So it would be very convenient for you if those guys took care of her," I said, once again marvelling at Eric's sneakiness.

Chuckling, Eric placed his hand on my thigh and squeezed gently. "Exactly."

I shook my head in vague amusement. Eric and his underhandedness. He was the one who'd invited Lorena to come for a visit, but now that Lorena was causing trouble, he was happy to let some humans take care of the problem instead of getting his own hands dirty. Ah well. Perhaps this was how one survived for so long.

"What would happen to Sookie if Lorena was killed?" I asked after a while.

"Bill would be allowed to take care of her," Eric said.

"Because they are related, kind of?"

Eric nodded. "But if Bill refused to take Sookie under his wing, someone else could claim her for themselves. Someone powerful. In this case, it would probably be the Queen herself. "

"That makes sense," I said, and thought about that some more. I'd never realized before that there might be genuine vampire orphans out there; young vampires whose makers met their final deaths somehow. I hoped for Sookie's sake Bill survived. I was no Bill fan, especially not after he'd tried to stake Eric, but I knew Sookie would probably be a lot better off in his care than in the Queen's. Then again, Bill had betrayed Sookie in a way, since he'd been working for the Queen all along. There was a chance Sookie wouldn't even want to be in his care.

I briefly closed my eyes and thanked whatever deities were out there listening that my life was not quite as complicated as Sookie's. Yes, Eric wasn't perfect. Far from it. He made mistakes, some of which had terrible consequences. But he cared for me. And he wanted what was best for me. He'd proven that over the last few days.

I placed my hand over Eric's, which was still resting on my thigh, and I stroked his fingers with my own. Eric gave me a surprised smile, and seemed quite pleased with this small turn of events for the rest of the way home; he didn't stop smiling.

Eric scooped me up in his arms after I'd gotten myself out of the car. There was no need for him to carry me anymore, but I didn't comment. I figured he just enjoyed doing it. Eric put me back on my feet inside the bedroom and slowly took off my clothes. Once I stood naked, Eric stepped up behind me and started rubbing my shoulders.

"Ooh," I moaned, because damn, that felt good.

"You like this?" Eric asked eagerly, his hands putting a little bit more pressure on my shoulder blades.

"Oh yeah," I said, my body going limp under his caresses. At once, Eric manoeuvred me onto the bed so I was lying facedown on the sheets.

"Wait there," he said, and the bed dipped as he got up. I heard rustling of clothes as Eric undressed, and then a swish as Eric used vampire speed to retrieve something from the bathroom. The bed dipped again and Eric kneeled down beside me. I looked up and noticed a bottle of aromatic oil in his hands.

He was giving me a massage?

I pressed a little closer to the sheets in sheer satisfaction, and moaned again when Eric poured a little bit of oil onto my back. He placed the bottle on the nightstand and set to work.

His hands were divine. I knew I'd said his tongue was the best in the universe, but my goodness, his hands were a close second. Eric gently massaged my shoulders, and then my spine, and finally my lower back, and by that time I was sure I'd melted into the mattress.

But he didn't stop there. He rubbed the oil across my buttocks, but he never dipped lower towards my sex, though at this point I probably wouldn't have minded if he did. Next were my thighs, and then my calves, and finally my feet.

No one had ever given me a foot rub before, but at once I understood the appeal of it. Eric slowly stroked his hands across my feet, and somehow these touches relaxed me even more, if that was at all possible.

Once Eric massaged his way back up my body, I let out a deep sigh. "If this whole vampire Sheriff thing doesn't work out for you, I'll hire you as my personal masseur," I mumbled, and Eric rumbled with laughter in response.

"Turn around," Eric said softly, and he didn't have to tell me twice. I flipped myself over onto my back, and Eric set to work on my shoulders after adding a bit more oil to his hands. But when he was ready to massage more of my front, he gave me a questioning look first. He was asking permission to touch my breasts.

I gave him a quick nod, and Eric answered it with a huge grin, his fangs showing. Oh yeah, he was in the mood, the same mood I was slowly but surely was getting into as well.

Eric spent a long time massaging my breasts; cupping them gently, rubbing his palms across my nipples, and then pinching them with the tips of his fingers. And my body responded quite favourably to these touches, all thoughts of drainers and unwelcome fingers gone at last.

This was Eric, my maker, and my blood called to him, as did my body. No matter what those drainers had done to me, I knew my maker would never hurt me like that.

"Eric," I moaned, arching my back up a little so he would put more pressure on my breasts. "Will you lick me?"

Eric sat between my legs at once, and lowered his face towards my sex. "Look at me, lover," he whispered, and I looked down at him with wide eyes. Eric had never called me that before, but it sounded like the best thing he could have said to me. I gave him a lazy smile as he spread my folds and licked across my clit.

"Oh, yeah," I groaned, pushing myself against his face. Eric licked again, a little harder this time, and I bucked my hips in response, because I wanted more, so much more.

It didn't take long before I was floating close to my climax, and I hardly even noticed it when Eric slipped two fingers inside me. He slid them in and out, and licked my clit a little faster, and I exploded into pleasure, crying out his name as I came.

When I blinked my eyes open, Eric was hovering over me, his erection pressing gently against my folds. "Lover?" he asked, with raised eyebrows.

By way of answer, I wrapped my legs around his hips, and Eric pushed into me at once. Our bodies joined intimately, and I knew without a doubt this could never be wrong, this could never be uncomfortable. Eric pressed his face against my throat, thrusting inside me slowly but surely. Eric wanted to take his time, apparently, but I didn't mind one bit. I wrapped my arms around his back, and arched up against him, meeting every one of his thrusts with one of my own.

I vaguely wondered if we were making love, instead of the fucking we'd always done before. Was there really a difference at all?

"I have missed you, lover," Eric breathed into my ear.

Perhaps there was a difference after all. Eric never said things like this to me, especially not during sex.

"When I thought I had lost you...it was very unpleasant," Eric continued, licking my throat and thrusting a little harder inside me.

Was this Eric's way of confessing the feelings he didn't even know he had? Whatever it was, I liked it, and I smiled against his shoulder as I held him tightly, as tightly as I could.

"You are mine," Eric growled, and nipped at my throat. "Drink from me, lover."

I sank my fangs into his shoulder, and moaned as his sweet blood flowed across my tongue. Eric bit into my throat and sucked hard, and now he picked up speed, pounding inside me until I cried out as I came again. Eric groaned, and thrust a few times more, and then he tensed as he came inside me. He collapsed on top of me, his body trembling, and I stroked my hands down his back in a soothing way.

"Did I hurt you?" Eric asked softly, as he pulled his head back to look at me.

"No," I said at once. "This was perfect." I pressed me lips to his in a soft kiss, and Eric smiled against my mouth. "I _really_ liked the massage," I said, hoping to convey my appreciation so he might do it again some day.

Eric chuckled and gently pulled out of me. He rolled onto his back and brought me with him so I was lying across his chest. "I enjoyed touching every inch of your body. I will do it again as often as you like."

I giggled. "Be careful with that promise, because I'd have you do it every day if it were up to me."

"Then I will do it every day, if that is what you want," Eric said, and I looked up at him in surprise. Eric didn't seem to be joking. I pushed myself up his body and gave him a long, deep kiss which Eric eagerly returned.

"So are we good now?" Eric asked with a certain amount of apprehension.

"Yeah," I said with a happy smile as I relaxed against his chest. "We're good."

I trailed my fingers down Eric's chest, and Eric stroked his hand down my back, and then I realized that maybe Eric and I were good now, but there was a third person involved as well.

"Eric," I said hesitantly as I glanced up at him. "How angry are you with Godric, really?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow in response.

"I mean, he's a part of this, too, and I need to know if the two of you will ever be able to be in the same room again without yelling at each other, or worse."

Eric started laughing and squeezed me close for a second. "Do you really believe my maker and I have never had disagreements before in our long lives?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, my beautiful child. When you and I have disagreements, don't we always make up eventually?" Eric asked reasonably.

"Oh. So you and Godric will be all right?"

Eric nodded. "We'll be fine. Of course, it would be nice if he stopped his meddling, but knowing my maker that's probably too much to ask for."

Giggling, I pressed my face against Eric's chest again. "He means well," I said, and giggled again.

"I'm sure he does," Eric said, just a bit sourly.

"And you did fuck up," I added with a grin.

"So did you," Eric said, with an even bigger grin.

"Yep. And now we're good."

"That we are," Eric said, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

**A/N: Just a short chapter this time, sorry. And I have more bad news, kind of. I just write too fast, as it turns out. We're only a chapter or so away from the end of season 2 in this story, and there are a lot of things of season 3 I want to use for the rest of this story. However, season 3 is still ongoing, as you all know, and I do not want to write myself into a corner, since I have no clue how certain things will play out in season 3. I have my suspicions about some things, but other things are still a complete mystery.**

**Yes, I know I could write my own version of season 3, and in some ways I will, but there are new characters I want to use for this story, such as Russell, Talbot, Alcide, and Franklin. They're all just too cool not to use, but until I know what happens with them on the show, I can't really start on my own version of season 3. And that's why I won't be updating this story as quickly anymore as I have been doing.**

**I am by no means abandoning it, don't worry! I love this story too much, and I'm looking forward to writing season 3 in this universe, but I need a bit more time to figure the plot out for the rest of the story. I hope you'll all understand, and please know that once TV season 3 is done, I'll probably be back with daily updates for this story!**

**I've started a new story, to keep my muse happy while I figure this one out. It's a Godric/OC romance called 'Supernatural Symphony'. It won't be as long as this fic, but I hope it will hold you all over until I can continue with this one. Thanks so much for reading, everyone! And be sure to let me know what you think. Your reviews are the best motivation to keep this story going!**


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

The next few days passed quickly and without any new problems surfacing. Eric allowed me to visit Fangtasia with him a few hours every night, so we could feed and he could get some work done, and the rest of the time we spent relaxing at home. We watched all the movies Eric had gotten me, and Eric made good on his promise to give me a massage daily, which always led to the most satisfying sex ever invented.

We also spent a lot of time just talking, sharing stories of our past, which Eric hadn't really done up until that point. He even told me his version of his turning; how pissed off he'd been at being mortally wounded in battle, and how confused he'd been when he'd awoken buried beneath the earth with Godric's arms wrapped tightly around him, and how Godric had calmed him and taught him all he needed to know about living his life as a vampire.

And as Eric told me about his early relationship with Godric, I realized that Godric was as much a rock to Eric as he'd always been to me, and that Eric was far more attached to his maker than he wanted anyone to know, no matter the frequent arguments and petty feuds between them.

My strength returned to me up until the point I could be on my feet all night without needing to rest. I still wasn't feeling quite as strong as before, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I was healed completely. Godric called me every night, and our relationship returned back to normal. I enjoyed our conversations, missed him something awful, and diligently wrote him a letter every night to tell him about my recovery in detail. And when I received a letter from Godric in return, I did a happy dance and kissed the envelope, much to Eric's amusement.

And now we were at Fangtasia earlier than usual, since there was to be an audition to find a new dancer. Pam was there, and we exchanged a few pleasantries as we waited for the first candidates to show up. The three of us seated ourselves in front of the little stage and Pam called in the first of many hopeful humans.

It took all of my willpower not to burst out in laughter when the first woman performed her routine.

"Stop," Eric called after only half a minute. His brow was furrowed with annoyance. "Thank you, but we're looking for something a little less... ridiculous."

At this point, I couldn't stop myself any longer and I snickered while I buried my face in one of my hands. The woman tried to argue, but Eric and Pam cut her off and she left in a huff.

Before I could comment, however, my phone rang, and I snatched it from my purse, expecting the caller to be Godric. But the display on my phone told me it was an unknown number. Eric gave me a curious look, and I shrugged at him as I got up. The next candidate had started her routine, and the music was far too loud, so I zipped to the back of the bar and once inside the hallway I answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Turid?" said a vaguely familiar voice. "This is Sam Merlotte."

"Oh," I said, surprised. Why would Sam be calling me? "How are you doing, Sam?"

"Good," Sam said at once. "We took care of the maenad."

"Congratulations," I said, unsure what else to say to someone who'd taken out a mythological creature with divine powers.

"Yeah, your advice helped a lot," Sam said, and then paused. I kept quiet as well. "Look, why I'm calling... we haven't taken care of Lorena yet."

"Ah," I said, and I was starting to feel decidedly uncomfortable. I mean, I had no love lost for Lorena, but I was a vampire, and here was a shifter talking to me about killing another vampire.

"We've been up to Bill's house during the day, but we only found Bill, Jessica and Sookie resting under the floor in a closet," Sam continued. I swallowed and nodded along. "But Lorena was nowhere to be found."

"What a pity," I said, and worried my bottom lip between my teeth.

"Do you know where she rests during the day?" Sam asked, and I could tell from the tone of his voice he understood perfectly how awkward this conversation really was.

"No," I said at once. "Look, Sam, a vampire's resting place is their most closely guarded secret. I mean, all the vampires I know, except apparently for Bill and Sookie, wouldn't be resting in a house that humans knew about."

"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Sam said and sighed.

"How is Sookie doing?" I asked, because I had thought about Sookie quite a few times over the last few days. "Have you seen her?"

"Briefly," Sam said, and his voice became tight with obvious pain. "During the whole ordeal with the maenad. They helped with that. But Lorena hasn't let Sookie near anyone the rest of the time."

"I'm sorry," I said, and even to my own ears that sounded inadequate.

"Could you try to find out where Lorena rests?" Sam asked, his voice no more than a whisper.

"Er..." I said, glancing at the door to the bar. I could really use Eric's advice right about now. I knew Eric wanted Lorena gone, but I wasn't sure if he wanted little old me involved in any way. "I can't make you any promises," I finally said. "But I'll see what I can do. I'll call you if I learn something useful."

"Okay," Sam said, sounding resigned. "I understand this is a difficult position for you."

"Yeah, it's a little weird," I agreed softly.

"But I really do appreciate any help you can give us," Sam said, his voice taking on a hopeful note.

"I'll try, but like I said, I can't make you any promises."

"I understand. Goodnight, Turid."

"Goodnight, Sam." And with that I clicked my phone shut. I released a deep sigh and walked back inside the bar.

As I sat down beside Eric, he quirked an eyebrow at me. "Who was that?" he asked softly, but I heard him just fine over the loud music that accompanied yet another preposterous dance routine up on the little stage.

"Sam Merlotte," I whispered and at his surprised look, I added, "I'll tell you later."

"Hm." Eric looked back at the stage and didn't push the matter, for which I was grateful. I still wasn't completely sure how I was going to break the news to Eric that a shifter had asked for my help in locating the resting place of a vampire he and his human friends wanted to kill.

We were treated to a few more of the world's least talented dancers. Eric looked like he was about to zone out during most of the routines, and Pam and I shared more than one amused glance over his response.

Pam called in the last dancer, and the sound of high heels clicking on the floor and the overwhelming scent of expensive perfume announced the arrival of some woman named Yvetta. I glared at her while both Pam and Eric welcomed her with a quiet "Hello." At once I glared at Eric as I saw his gaze sweep over Yvetta's admittedly fine body, if you liked silicone boobs.

Yvetta gave me a quick, dismissive glance before she focused her attention on Eric, pushing her fake boobs out even more. I wanted to pop them like water balloons, and I hadn't realized I'd growled until I felt Eric's gaze on me. He looked amused and grabbed my hand.

"See what she can do, Pam," Eric said, and stood, pulling me up with him. Pam perked up and gave Eric and me a dazzling smile before she looked Yvetta up and down, licking her lips. "We'll be back later," Eric said, and he tugged me along as he walked out the bar. Yvetta stared after us with narrowed eyes, and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at her as I followed Eric. _My_ Eric. _My Maker_.

"What did the shifter want?" Eric asked once we stood in the parking lot beside his Corvette.

My small victory was forgotten at once and I deflated, staring at the ground.

"Well?" Eric cupped my chin and forced me to look him in the eye.

"They got rid of the maenad," I said.

"Good for them," Eric said. "What else?"

I sighed and figured I might as well just get it over with. I wasn't like I had done anything wrong here, after all. "Sam asked if I knew Lorena's daytime resting place. She isn't resting in Bill's house, apparently."

"Ah." Eric stared at me, making me squirm. "What did you say?"

"I said I couldn't promise him any help, that a vampire's daytime resting place is their most closely guarded secret," I said quickly. "Well, for all vampires besides Bill and Sookie, since they're resting under the floor of Bill's closet, according to Sam. Why ever would they do that?"

Eric snorted. "Because they put far too much trust in humans. Resting in a residence that is known to humans is the quickest way to get yourself killed."

I nodded, having suspected as much.

"You did good," Eric said, and I looked up at him, surprised. "Let's go see how Lorena is doing with her newest child."

"Okay," I said, with both curiosity and apprehension. I had thought about Sookie over the last few days, but I wasn't sure I really wanted to know what Lorena was doing to her.

We got in Eric's Corvette and soon enough we were making our way towards Bon Temps.

After ten minutes of silence, while I fiddled with the radio, Eric glanced at me. "You didn't like our new dancer?" he asked innocently.

I glared at him. "She has fake boobs," I said, as though that explained my entire dislike of her.

Eric chuckled.

"Also, she was expecting things from you," I muttered, leaning back in my seat and clasping my own hands tightly in my lap.

"Like what?" Eric asked, as though he had no idea what I meant. Bastard.

"You know what," I said, staring pointedly out the window.

"So you wouldn't want to taste her?" Eric asked, and I snapped my gaze at him.

"No," I said, with feeling. "The silicone probably makes her blood taste all funny."

"Silicone has no influence on the taste of human blood," Eric said, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "We could feed off her together, you know."

I bit my lip. "Feed or something else?"

"Anything you wanted," Eric said quietly, looking at me intently.

My heart sank. This was the first time Eric had expressed any interest in another female since he'd turned me. Was his possessiveness of me waning already? I pursed my lips and stared out the window, trying very hard not to cry. So this was it. The beginning of the end.

"Turid," Eric said, and he placed his hand on my thigh. He started massaging my leg. "I think it would be very sexy to see you with another woman."

"With that skank?" I snapped.

Eric sighed. "Not necessarily with her, no. But perhaps this is something we could try sometime? Us sharing a woman?"

I wasn't sure if I should burst out in tears or smack Eric silly. Instead I just glared at him.

"I think it would be very hot to see a woman go down on you, while I join in," Eric said, his voice lowering. He was clearly enjoying this conversation. Me, not so much.

"The only problem with that little scenario is that I wouldn't enjoy seeing you with another woman," I said quietly. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to cry. I was stronger than this, dammit.

"But you enjoy sharing me with Godric." Eric pointed out carefully. "You even like it when Godric and I touch each other."

"That's different," I said, glancing at Eric. "I love you both, and you two have been intimate before, long before I was even born."

"True enough," Eric said with a nod. "How about if I didn't touch this other woman?"

I groaned in frustration. Couldn't he just drop this whole conversation?

"Just think about it," Eric whispered, leaning a little closer to me while he kept looking at the road with half an eye. "Me fucking you from behind, while you get to touch another girl however you want? Suck her breasts, lick a nice wet pussy, and then drink sweet blood from her thigh?"

"Hm." I pondered on that for a moment while Eric looked at me with an expectant grin. "That might be acceptable, but I think it's too soon. I don't want to share you just yet."

Eric leaned back, a victorious look on his face. "We can wait until you are ready," he said, offering me a reassuring smile.

I frowned as I looked at Eric. Had I just said I might want to share him at some point in the future? I was attracted to certain women, and I'd had no problems having sex with such women before. I just hated the idea of Eric anywhere near another woman.

"Why are you pushing this?" I asked, my chest tightening with uncertainty. "Why do you want to share me with another woman?"

Eric shrugged. "Because we're going to be together for eternity, my beautiful witch. We wouldn't want our sex life to get boring."

I sputtered. "You think our sex life is boring?" I asked, suddenly feeling indignant.

Eric burst into laughter. "No, of course not. But how will we feel a century from now?"

A century from now. We'd only been together for a few weeks, and Eric was thinking about us together a century from now. As I went over the conversation in my head, I picked up on something else he'd said, and I smiled until my cheeks hurt. Eric had said we'd be together for an eternity. Now that was the best thing he could ever have said to me.

"We can discuss such things in the future, sure," I said lightly, still smiling like a loon.

"Good," Eric said, and pressed a quick kiss to my lips before focusing on the road once more.

We remained quiet for a few moments more, until I realized something. I turned in my seat so I could look at Eric properly. "You're talking about sharing me with another woman, but how about me sharing you with another man that isn't Godric? How would you feel about that?"

Eric frowned and pursed his lips. He wasn't looking happy in the slightest, and I giggled madly. "Oh my goodness, Mr double standards," I said, poking him in the chest with my finger. Eric slapped my hand away and glared at me.

"I thought you said you wouldn't fuck other men because you'd promised Godric you wouldn't?" he said, as though daring me to disagree.

"And I won't," I said, still giggling. "I'm just pointing out that perhaps you're not ready for the whole sharing thing yet, either."

"Perhaps," Eric said, and stared back at the road.

I sat back in my seat and stared out the window with a most satisfied smile on my face. I felt much better than I had ever since that skank Yvetta had walked into the bar. And the conversation that I had been dreading above anything else had turned out to be not so bad at all.

Eric had expressed an interest in another woman, yes, but I could hardly blame him for that. He was a man, after all. And yet he hadn't talked about going off and fucking some other woman just for the hell of it. He'd talked about sharing, and even letting me do most of that sharing, and of course he'd talked about us together a century from now, heck, an eternity from now.

No, if I was entirely honest with myself, this turn of events was more than I could ever have hoped for, and the warmth of sheer happiness spread throughout my body. Eric wasn't just going to go back to fucking around, I now realized. He'd make a huge effort to make sure we'd both be happy with whatever we decided to do in the future.

I leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Eric's cheek, much to his surprise.

"What was that for?" he asked with one raised eyebrow.

"Just 'cause you can be pretty awesome sometimes," I said softly, my smile now almost shy.

"Only sometimes?" Eric asked, and I smacked him against his arm, which caused him to snort with laughter.

"When you're not being a jerk," I muttered, and yet I still couldn't hold back a smile.

A few minutes later we drove into Bon Temps, and I stared at the window with my mouth hanging open. The whole town looked ransacked; broken windows, graffiti on random buildings and garbage strewn everywhere.

"Do you think this is because of the maenad?" I asked Eric, who looked equally surprised at our surroundings.

"Possibly," he said, and shrugged. "Though why they'd mess up the whole town just to kill a maenad is beyond me."

"Makes you wonder how they killed her in the first place," I whispered, more to myself than to Eric.

"Hm," Eric said, and then we remained quiet until we reached Bill's house. Eric parked the Vette right beside the porch, and we quickly made our way to the front door.

"Stay close," Eric whispered, just before he knocked on the door. A few moments later Lorena opened it, and she offered Eric a bright smile while ignoring me completely.

"Sheriff Northman, do come in," Lorena said, and stepped away from the door to allow us entry.

"Lorena," Eric said with a curt nod as he strolled inside and entered the living room, little old me right on his heels. "I was just coming by to check up on you and your new child. How have your negotiations with the Queen fared?"

Lorena followed us into the living room. "The Queen and I have come to an understanding that is mutually beneficial."

"I'm glad to hear that," Eric said with a tight smile. I agreed with him wholeheartedly. If the Queen was pleased with the current circumstances, she wouldn't be taking anything out on Eric. Or me.

I peeked around Eric's broad back and spotted Sookie sitting on the couch, with Jessica sitting on the couch opposite her. There were bloody tear tracks streaking both their cheeks, and I wondered what was going on. I got the answer when I spotted the silver chains lying on the coffee table between them. I glanced at Lorena again, and for the first time noticed that she was wearing tight, black leather gloves.

"My new child has proven quite stubborn," Lorena told Eric conversationally. "But she still retains so much of her humanity, all those useless emotions, that it's quite easy to control her by simply hurting Bill's foolish child."

My stomach sank while my chest tightened.

"Bill's not around?" Eric asked as he glanced around the room.

"He's being punished," Lorena said with a sinister smile. "He does not agree with my training methods and tried to interfere."

Eric nodded, and I bit my lip and stared at the floor. I couldn't meet either Sookie's or Jessica's eyes, and it made me feel like a coward.

"Sookie told me your new child is a witch," Lorena said, for the first time looking at me.

"She is," Eric said, and I shuffled a little closer to him while I looked at Lorena with wide eyes.

"Perhaps we can exchange our childrens' talents sometime," Lorena said, glancing between Sookie and me. Sookie was staring at Lorena with hatred written across her face, but Lorena paid no heed to it. "I'm sure you'll have need of my telepath in the future, Sheriff, and I'll gladly accept some magic as payment."

Eric's face showed nothing, but I could tell through our bond Eric didn't like that plan one bit. Neither did I, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.

"Perhaps," Eric said vaguely. "My child is but a few weeks old, so I am still training her."

"And how is that going?" Lorena asked, sounding genuinely interested. "My telepath was too stubborn to even feed, no matter the silver I took to her, until I realized I could make her obey by hurting Bill's useless progeny. She even tried to hide the fact that she can still hear human minds from me." Lorena cackled for a moment. "Silly girl, thinking she can hide anything from her maker."

"I have no such problems with my child," Eric said confidently. "She's very obedient, but young still, and has lots left to learn."

"An obedient witch," Lorena said, and she sounded almost wistful, which made my skin crawl. "You really have lucked out there, Northman."

Eric smiled proudly and reached for my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. I just kept staring at Lorena with wide eyes. I couldn't even begin the imagine what Sookie and Jessica, and even Bill, were going through right now, but whatever my mind was coming up with made me want to run screaming from the house all the way back to Shreveport.

"What of the telepath's family?" Eric asked Lorena. "Have they come looking for her?"

"They now believe Sookie wanted to be turned, and they'll leave her alone from now on, as per Sookie's wishes," Lorena said with a most satisfied smile.

"Good. Just make sure you're not slaughtering humans. I will not tolerate such behaviour in my area."

"Now, Sheriff," Lorena said with a charming look. "I've been on my best behaviour. Trust me, I wanted to use those humans who came looking for my child to teach her a few lessons, but instead I merely glamoured them and sent them on their way."

"I'm pleased to hear that." Eric gave Lorena another nod, and pulled me along to the door. "If there are any problems, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Sheriff," Lorena said, while she held the door open for us. I gave her a quick nod, and then followed Eric to the car.

Once seated inside Eric's Corvette, I started trembling. As Eric pulled out of Bill's driveway he placed his hand on my thigh, but that didn't help. I couldn't stop trembling.

"Sshh," Eric said, squeezing my thigh. "You are safe."

"I know," I whispered, and yet I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd just seen and heard. It was a nightmare scenario, nothing less. I tried to place myself in Sookie's shoes, but my mind just refused to go there. I couldn't for the life of me imagine Eric treating me in the way Lorena was treating Sookie.

"You're not going to lend me out to Lorena, are you?" I finally asked in a very small voice.

"Of course not," Eric said with confidence. "Should I ever have need for Sookie's talents in the future, I'll find some other way to hire her."

I released a deep sigh and placed my hand over Eric's. "Thank you for being a good maker," I whispered, and I meant it with all my heart.

"You're welcome," Eric said with a smile.

"I mean it," I said, my voice a little louder now.

"I know." Eric leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Thank you for being a good child."

"Anytime," I said with a giggle, and I felt a bit better. Shocked, still, but the despair was slowly leaving my mind.

We remained quiet for a while, and I pondered on all that I'd learned that evening.

"What's Lorena's maker like?" I asked, wanting to test a theory I'd just come up with.

Eric gave me a curious look. "I never met him, but rumour has it he was just as sadistic as Lorena is."

"That makes sense," I said, feeling more confident now. "Lorena's such a bitch because her maker treated her like crap."

Eric shrugged. "Or she's just insane."

"Yeah, or that," I said quickly, waving his comment away. "But when you look at us, it makes sense. You're a good maker to me and Pam, because you have a good maker. And Godric is a good maker to you because he also had a good maker."

Eric snorted with laughter. "Godric had a good maker? Since when?"

I looked at him with surprise. "Huh?"

"Godric killed his maker," Eric said, while he glanced at me with a frown.

"What?" I sat up in my seat and my mouth opened but for a moment no sound came out, while my chest grew colder and colder. "But Godric told me his maker saved him on the battlefield, and that he died a few centuries ago in the fairy war."

"Oh." Eric stared straight ahead, his expression carefully blank.

"What are you saying, Eric?" I asked, my voice taking on a slightly hysterical note. "Isn't that true, what Godric told me? Did he really kill his maker? But why?"

"It's not my story to tell," Eric muttered, and then refused to say another word on the matter.

I stared down at my lap, having a very hard time believing what I'd just heard. Godric had killed his own maker? That was not what he'd told me.

My mind refused to form the correct thought for quite some time, but eventually I had to admit it to myself.

Godric had lied to me.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

**A/N: Yes, I'm back. I promised you I wouldn't abandon this story, and I mean to keep that promise. Life just got in the way. My health took a turn for the worse. I was diagnosed with gallstones, which really messed me up for a while, until they finally decided to just remove my gallbladder, and I got to spend a couple of days in the hospital right before Christmas. Nothing too serious, but still enough to keep me unable to focus on writing for a while. But now I'm as healthy as a horse again, and I plan to continue this story, and I'm also working on the next chapter for Supernatural Symphony, for those of you who are reading that story. **

**Thanks so much to all of you for reading this story, and for sticking around even when there were no updates for a while. Let me know what you think. Reviews are most welcome! **


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

It seemed almost like a lie in itself, that Godric had lied to me. It just didn't sound true, no matter how often I turned it over in my mind.

Eric was the one who messed up. Eric was the one who closed off our bond while I was being drained. Eric was the one who got all weird about sharing me with Godric. Eric was the one who couldn't find his own feelings even if they bit him in the ass.

Eric should have been the one to lie to me. Not Godric. Not my rock, to whom I had been clinging desperately ever since I first met him.

If I had caught Eric in such a lie, I still would have been pissed off, but I probably wouldn't have been feeling quite so cold and empty as I was feeling at that moment.

And here I had accused Eric of having double standards not just an hour before. I was a hypocrite, and I knew it, but that didn't change how I felt one bit.

Godric had lied to me. And not just some little white lie, or a lie for the greater good. No, he'd lied to me about his maker. He'd told me his maker had saved him, had given him a choice, and that his maker had died in battle some centuries ago.

But this was all a lie, apparently, if what Eric said was true. Godric had killed his own maker.

That thought alone made me recoil in horror. I couldn't for the life of me imagine killing Eric, or even purposefully hurting him. Then I remembered Lorena and her treatment of her children, and it dawned on me that some vampire children might feel very differently about their makers.

That meant that Godric must have had a terrible maker.

Why hadn't he told me? Perhaps he hadn't been comfortable sharing that information with a young little human like myself, but he could have just told me that instead of making up some lie. I would have accepted that. And why hadn't he told me the truth later, after I'd been turned?

The more I thought about it, the more desperate I was starting to feel.

I needed to talk to Godric. For a brief moment I contemplated grabbing my phone, but then I realized this wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with him while we were two states away from each other.

I needed to talk to him in person.

"Why are you crying now?" Eric asked, and I looked up at once. I was crying? I hadn't even realized that.

"Godric lied to me," I said.

Eric rolled his eyes. "So?"

I gaped at Eric, and his dismissive reply made me feel even colder. "He lied to me, after he promised he would never do that. And he lied to me about his maker, even after I was turned."

"So you're now finding out my maker isn't perfect?" Eric said in a rather belittling tone. "Maybe it's about time that you did."

"How can you say that?"

"Easily. I've known him for a millennium."

I searched for a reply, but I couldn't find anything appropriate to say. And then we drove onto the parking lot of Fangtasia, and I realized I'd spent much more time deep in thought than I thought I had. Eric seemed entirely unconcerned with my inner turmoil and got out of the car without further comment. I got some tissues from my purse and cleaned my face up as best as I could. I was glad I was wearing a black dress, so the drops of blood that had slipped down my cheeks wouldn't show.

Finally, I followed Eric into the bar, which was now filled with humans and vampires alike. The new dancer, Yvetta, was giving it her best on one of the poles in a corner of the bar, and her face lit up when she spotted Eric. I clenched my jaws at her response, but I was grateful when Eric didn't acknowledge her in any way. I just couldn't use anymore heartbreak at that moment.

"Let's feed," Eric said, and at once he glamoured two eager girls barely old enough to be in the bar. They followed us into Eric's office, and the stench of sex made my nose twitch. It smelled like Pam had thoroughly examined Yvetta's many talents while we'd been away.

Eric gave me a quick glance, and through our bond I could feel his frustration. Apparently he had no idea how to handle me at that moment, and I was feeling too detached to give him any pointers.

We fed quickly on the girls, and I soon found out even a belly-full of human blood didn't make me feel any better. Eric sent the girls on their way and sat behind his desk to go through the day's mail. I sank down onto the couch and stared at my lap.

"I have to talk to Godric," I whispered, after ten minutes of strained silence.

"So call him." Eric said without looking away from his computer screen.

"In person," I said, gritting my teeth. Why couldn't Eric just be a little bit more understanding?

"No." This time Eric glared at me, but I glared right back.

"Why?"

"Because you are my child and your place is here with me. I will not let you run off to Dallas just because you're throwing a fit."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, wanting to yell and scream at Eric, yet something inside me wanted to submit to him at the same time. My emotions were tearing me apart, and I felt more tears gathering in my eyes, threatening to spill. Before they could, I jumped up from the couch.

"I'm going to sit out in the bar," I said, and before Eric could reply I rushed out of his office. I settled in a corner booth and nursed a bottle of blood without drinking any.

I didn't want to defy Eric's orders. I didn't want to anger him. But I knew I had to talk to Godric, or this whole ordeal would eat me up alive. I kept going over everything again and again in my mind, and I hardly even noticed when Eric walked into the bar and settled on his chair on the stage. I did notice how Yvetta immediately focused her gyrating in his direction, her fake boobs spilling out of her corset while she did so.

I wanted to tear her apart, no matter the conversation I'd had with Eric earlier about sharing and trying to find the middle ground in our relationship. But I knew I'd only be taking my frustrations at my own situation out on her, and that would hardly be fair. Though, if Yvetta kept her longing looks and obvious attempts at seduction up I might just stop caring about the fairness of it all.

After an hour or so, Eric got up from his chair and walked towards me. "Let's go home," he said, giving me a very tired look, as though he was through with my behaviour. I couldn't really care less what he thought of me at that moment, but I followed him out of the bar anyway. What else was I going to do but go home?

Once we were seated inside his Corvette, I turned to look at him. I had to make him see reason.

"Eric, can we - "

"No."

I sighed. "How can you say no if you don't even know the question?"

Eric kept staring straight ahead. "Because I already know you were going to ask me about visiting Godric, and the answer to that request hasn't changed."

"That isn't fair," I snapped, my frustration slowly turning into anger.

"I don't care if you think it's fair or not," Eric said, his voice icy. "You are letting Godric come between us, which is equally unfair, since I am your master and you are _my_ child. You may call him if you wish, but that is all I will allow. And this is the last we will speak of it."

"But - "

"Enough!" Eric snarled, snapping his fangs out at me. I shrank back in my chair and wisely didn't push the matter any further. The last thing I wanted was for Eric to punish me, and he looked like he might just do that if I didn't back down. But keeping quiet did nothing to ease my inner turmoil and by the time we reached the house I'd started crying again. Eric ignored me until we reached the bedroom.

"Go clean yourself up. I have work still." And with that he stormed out of the room and I moment later I heard him fire up his computer in his office. I slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I splashed water on my face, getting rid of most of the blood on my cheeks.

I had to talk to Godric. I really had to. I might have been able to put if off if Eric had been just a little bit more caring, had shown some understanding of my pain, but with Eric acting like a jerk, I knew I couldn't face tomorrow without finding some sort of resolution.

Even before I really knew what I was doing, I closed my eyes, pulled my power inwards, and I teleported straight to the driveway of Godric's nest in Dallas. It was the largest distance I'd ever teleported before, but thanks to the demon's power that was now my own, I got there in one piece, though I did wobble on my feet for a few seconds before I found my balance.

I rushed to the front door and knocked. It only took a few moments before the door opened and Stan grinned down at me.

"Well, hello there, sugar," Stan said with a leer.

"Is Godric here?" I asked, my voice sounding oddly broken. "It's urgent."

Stan waved me inside, and I all but ran into the living room where Godric sat on the couch, some paperwork spread out on the coffee table before him.

"Turid," Godric said, obviously surprised as he got to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," I said, but before I could say anything else, pain rippled through me. Such pain, that I doubled over and sank to my knees, clutching my torso.

"Does Eric know you're here?" Godric said, and I shook my head. I fell over on my side as more pain rippled through me. I had no idea what was happening, and I barely noticed when Godric got his phone out. Before he held it to his ear, he looked at the other vampires in the room and said, "Leave us."

The room was empty save for Godric and me in just seconds. "My child," Godric said into his phone. "Yes, she is here. Stop calling her... Yes, I am perfectly aware she is your child, Eric. But you are hurting her."

Eric was doing this? How was he doing this? I blinked and curled up in a little ball on the floor as more pain ripped at my insides and seared my skin.

"If she has defied your command then I suggest you punish her as you see fit once she returns to you, but for now I would appreciate it if you could stop calling her so I may hear what she has to say to me... No, she is unable to speak at the moment because she is in pain...Yes, I will send her right back after I've heard what she has got to say for herself."

The pain ebbed away and I slowly raised my head off the floor to look up at Godric.

"Eric is not pleased you have defied his orders, and he will punish you when you return," Godric said rather matter-of factly. "Now, please tell me why you are here."

I swallowed a few times as I pushed myself up in a sitting position on the floor. "You lied to me," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "You lied to me about your maker."

"Ah." Godric looked away for a moment.

"Eric said you've killed your maker," I said, and now Godric met my eyes.

"That was not Eric's story to tell," Godric said, his voice oddly hollow.

"He didn't," I said at once, suddenly feeling like I had to defend Eric. "He just let that part slip and then refused to say more. That's why I'm here, because I have to know why you lied to me."

"Come," Godric said, and he grabbed my hand and helped me onto the couch to sit beside him. "The story I told you is the story I tell everyone who enquires about my maker. Eric is the only person in this world who knows the truth."

I looked at Godric with wide eyes, unable to speak.

Godric reached for my hand and I let him take it. "I was not comfortable telling a human I'd only just met about my past."

"I get that," I interrupted him. "I really do. But afterwards, after I was turned, you could have told me the truth."

Godric shrugged. "I did not want you to think poorly of me. Nor did I want you to get the wrong idea about the bond between a maker and child. I knew you had to leave with Eric, and I wasn't sure how you would take to your new life."

"Wait," I said with a frown. "You were worried it might give me ideas? You were protecting Eric?"

"I was protecting you both," Godric said with a pointed look. "You are a powerful witch, Turid. You might very well have been able to kill Eric if you had not accepted your new life. And if you had done so, you would have been sentenced to death."

"Huh." I stared down at my hands. This was all news to me, and I wasn't sure what to make of it. Yes, it made sense that Godric had wanted to protect both me and Eric, but I had never thought he might think me capable of killing my maker just because I wasn't happy with being a vampire.

"I love Eric," I said softly. "I would never hurt him."

"Yes, I know that now," Godric said, squeezing my hand. "But you are a witch, and you have heard the stories of witches turned vampires. I couldn't be sure how you'd react at first."

"All right," I said, almost impatiently. "I'm not happy with it, but I get it. Will you please tell me what really happened with you maker? Do you trust me enough now to tell me?"

Godric leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. "Yes, I do trust you, my dear heart, but I must warn you. It is not a happy tale."

"Okay," I said with a firm nod. No matter how awful this story would be, I wanted to hear it.

"I was born in Gaul, the son of my tribe's chieftain," Godric started, his expression growing blank and his voice impassive. "Before my tenth birthday, our village was raided by Romans. Most adults were killed, but some women and all children were taken as slaves."

I gasped, and then mumbled, "Sorry."

"Yes, Turid, I was a slave. I was traded a few times between slave merchants until my master bought me. He was no ordinary man, as I soon found out."

"A vampire?" I guessed softly, and Godric nodded.

"A vampire with a taste for young boys." He said no more on that, but he didn't have to. I shuddered at the thought of what a vampire might do to a young boy under his power. "He gave me his blood to drink and he marked me as his personal slave, so I could not flee during the day," Godric said, tapping his right shoulder where I knew there was an angry red brand. I'd asked him about it once, but he'd quickly changed the subject. Now I understood why. "I was forced to do his bidding, whatever his bidding was. After a few years he turned me. Not long after that, I killed him."

We remained quiet for a while, as I wondered if I should ask him how he killed his maker. But I figured Godric wasn't comfortable discussing the details, or else he would have already told me.

"And then what?" I finally asked. "What did you do after that?"

"I removed myself from society, such as it was. I stayed in the wild for most of the time. I enjoyed following armies around, joining them in battle during the night, feeding on the dying and the dead. For a few centuries, that gave me satisfaction, and then I grew lonely. I turned my first child then, but I was not a good maker to him."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"We did not stay together for more than a few years. I was a cruel master then, and he resented me. I still mourned him when he was killed."

"What about Eric?" I asked softly. Eric had only ever spoken well of Godric as a maker.

Godric smiled and looked down. "I saw Eric in battle and I knew I wanted him by my side. I couldn't believe my luck when he was mortally wounded and I could turn him without him resenting me for it. I know Eric speaks well of me as a maker, but in truth, it was Eric who taught me."

"How so?"

"Eric was a stubborn child, and even under threat of punishment he always voiced his opinion. I decided to listen to him on more than one occasion, and thus I learned how to behave well. I have always been Eric's master and will remain so, but in truth, I could not have become the vampire I am now without Eric's guidance."

"He loves you very much," I said, leaning a little closer to Godric. "So you must have done something right."

Chuckling, Godric slipped his arm around me. "Eric and I have done right by each other. Though he will deny that. Eric has always given me far more credit than I am due."

"He's loyal like that."

"That he is." Godric looked down at me. "Now you know the truth, my little witch."

"Thank you for telling me," I said. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"That would be for the best."

"So what was it what Eric did to me earlier?" I asked. Now that my inner turmoil had vaporised I was acutely aware that I'd defied Eric's orders and that he was probably very, very angry with me.

"Eric called you," Godric said. " A maker can always call their child. When you merely want the child's attention, the call will feel like a mild shudder, nothing more. But you had angered Eric, so his call was more forceful."

"It hurt like hell," I muttered.

"You brought that upon yourself," Godric said with a grin. "There is nothing I can do to stop Eric from calling you, or from punishing you when you've disobeyed him."

"I know. I guess I'll just go home know and face the music." I gulped. "Do you think he'll use silver on me or something?" I asked timidly, remembering how Lorena punished Sookie and Jessica.

"I doubt it," Godric said, giving me a reassuring hug. "Eric is not cruel and he's usually very creative when it comes to punishment."

I pressed my lips to Godric's in a searing kiss. "Thank you for being honest with me. It really means a lot to me."

Godric glanced down, his brows furrowing into a frown. My heart sank. Godric looked downright guilty.

"Is there more that you've lied about?" I asked softly, even though a part of me didn't want to know. Godric was my rock, after all. Yes, he'd lied about his maker, but I now understood why he'd done so, and it made sense. I could easily forgive him for that.

"Turid," Godric said without looking at me. "I know this will upset you, but I want there to be only truth between us now that you are one of us."

"What?"

"Do you remember the night the FBI came to your house?"

I nodded, my stomach tying itself in knots.

"I called them," Godric said, and I jumped off the couch in sheer shock. "I was attracted to you," Godric continued quickly while I gaped down at him. "I wanted my blood in you, and I did not know how to offer it to you, so I decided to show you how valuable my protection could be for you."

"What? How?" I sputtered and backed away from the couch. "For fuck's sake, Godric. You could have just brought me some flowers and chocolates. I was already falling for you then!"

"I realize that now," Godric said, slowly getting up from the couch. He moved closer to me, but I just kept backing up. "I am sorry if this hurts you, but at the time it seemed like a very good idea. I wanted you all for myself, and this was the only way I knew how to accomplish that."

"You sent the fucking FBI after me! I could have been arrested!"

"I would not have let that happen, my dear heart." Godric put his hand on my arm as I backed into a wall. I shrugged him off.

"Is there anything else?" I asked through gritted teeth. "Anymore lies?"

"No," Godric said with conviction. "I have only ever spoken the truth to you, save for these two occasions."

"Ha!" I let out a humourless laugh. "I can't believe you could have betrayed me like that. I really can't. I thought, after we'd talked and after we'd made love, that you actually cared about me."

"I did," Godric said, but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"If you really had, you wouldn't have called the fucking FBI to intimidate me into drinking your blood."

"Turid, please forgive me," Godric whispered urgently. "I know this hurts you, and I am not proud of my actions, but it was the only way I knew how to make you mine."

I felt sick to my stomach. If I had still been human I might have thrown up at that point. "I need to go home."

"My dear - "

"No," I snapped. "I need to go now. Don't call me for a while. I don't know if I can forgive you for this."

And with that I rushed out the house and barely allowed myself to draw my power inwards before I teleported to the living room in Eric's underground lair. Within seconds, Eric stood before me, his face a thundercloud.

"You disobeyed me," Eric said, his voice like ice. "You disobeyed a direct order from your maker."

I nodded, and my shoulders started shaking and my vision blurred and I sank to the floor as bloody tears streamed down my face.

"No matter how many tears you shed, I am still going to punish you," Eric said as he stalked closer to me.

I shook my head. "I'm not crying because of that," I said, my voice hitching.

That pulled Eric up short. For a second, his brow furrowed with concern before he face grew blank again. "Did Godric hurt you? He told me he'd let me handle your punishment."

Shaking my head again, I tried to get up off the floor, but my legs couldn't hold my weight. Eric crouched down in front of me, observing me quietly.

"He called the FBI," I finally managed to say in between loud sobs. "He called the fucking Feds on me just so he could intimidate me into drinking his blood."

"Ah." Eric didn't sound at all surprised.

I glared up at him in outrage. "You knew?"

"I suspected he might have done something like that when you told me this story. I found it rather suspicious the FBI would show up at your doorstep right around sunset."

"And you never told me you suspected this?" I yelled, my fangs snapping out.

Eric shrugged. "Godric did what he had to do to secure you as his human."

"What is wrong with you people!" This time I did find the strength to jump to my feet. Eric straightened himself out at once and grabbed my arm before I could zip out of the living room.

"Do not speak to me in that tone," Eric said, his fangs snapping to attention. "And you must remember, my dear child, you are one of us now."

"Yeah, and for the first time I'm regretting it, if this is how you all treat people you profess to care about!"

Eric leaned into me, his face inches away from mine. "You truly believe my maker doesn't care about you, merely because he wanted his blood in you and did whatever he could to get you to accept his offer?"

"Yes. No." I tried to pull away from Eric, but he held on tight. "How can I ever trust him again after he's betrayed me like that just so he could give me his blood?"

"Because he offered you his blood in the first place, you foolish child," Eric snarled. "You are the first human Godric has offered his blood to since he turned me, and that should tell you everything you need to know, no matter how he went about it!"

I inhaled a deep, shuddering breath and stared at Eric with wide eyes. I hated to admit it, but Eric had a point. I vividly remembered how suspicious Eric had been of me at first, only because Godric had taken me as his human and had offered me his blood.

"Maybe you're right," I muttered as I looked down at my feet. "But it still hurts to know he did that to me."

Eric sighed and pulled me along towards the bedroom. "And here I thought you were an educated girl who knew all about vampires before we ever came out of the coffin. You should have known how vampires operate to get what they want, even if it involves people we care about."

"I did know that," I said stubbornly while Eric unzipped my dress. "I just thought there was more between Godric and me."

"You thought one night between the sheets with you would have changed Godric's behaviour? Would have made him less of a vampire?" Eric asked as he helped me out of my dress. He didn't sound so angry anymore, merely exasperated.

"No," I said, crossing my arms over my breasts after Eric removed my bra. "I don't know. I just never expected Godric to do something like that to me."

"You think too much of my maker," Eric said as he stroked his hand down my arm. "Godric has always been and always will be a vampire. He wasn't always this calm, either. He used to have a bigger lust for violence than even I had."

"I know," I said, leaning into Eric's touch before I could help myself. "He told me the truth about his maker and his early life as a vampire."

"Good," Eric said with a grin. "Then you should also understand that a vampire like Godric merely calling the FBI on you to get you to drink his blood is about as close to a confession of eternal love as you can get from him. He could have done far worse. Has done far worse."

I gave a weak chuckle. Not that I found this whole mess amusing, but Eric, in his own weird way, did always know how to make a point.

"Go get cleaned up. Dawn is near." Eric gave me a gentle push towards the bathroom, and once I saw my reflection in the mirror I knew why. My entire face and upper chest was covered in blood. Heck, there was even blood in my hair. And my mascara had not been able to withstand so much crying. I looked like a red-faced raccoon.

"Ugh," I said to myself and quickly got under the shower. Soon I heard Eric talking in Old Norse in the bedroom, and I assumed he was on the phone with Godric. I knew they were talking about me, but I was too exhausted to care. It still hurt, what Godric had done to me. But I had to admit that perhaps I had expected too much of Godric. He was a vampire, after all, and I had known that from the start.

Maybe I had been a little too naive.

And then I thought about Sookie, and how Eric was sure Bill had let two psychos beat the crap out of her to within in inch of her life just to feed her his blood, and I realized that Godric really could have done a lot worse than call the FBI on me to scare me into drinking his blood.

When I entered the bedroom all clean and dry, Eric was already in bed. He turned down the sheets for me so I could crawl into bed beside him.

"Don't think I have forgotten about your disobedience, my stubborn child," Eric said once I'd settled under the sheets. "I will punish you tomorrow."

"All right," I said, knowing there was nothing I could do to stop him. I had disobeyed him, knowing full well there would be consequences. I pushed myself closer to him. I was exhausted and my emotions were raw and I needed comfort. "Will you still hold me? Please?"

Eric sighed and pulled me against his chest. I groaned with contentment and draped myself across his body, needing to feel as much of him as I could.

"Are you going to use silver on me tomorrow?" I asked softly, unsure if I even wanted to know the answer to that question. But before Eric could answer me, the sun rose and I was out cold.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

**A/N: Aww, Godric is a vampire after all, and not a perfect one. For those of you who are wondering: yes, I have been planning this twist from the start. My goal with this story is to examine the world of vampires, both the good and the bad. And now poor Turid will face punishment. However will Eric go about that?**

**The next chapter should be up within a few days. Thanks for reading everyone! Let me know what you think of this twist. Reviews are always welcome. **


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

We arrived at Fangtasia before it opened. Eric had barely said a word to me since we'd gotten up that evening, and I knew he was doing it on purpose. He was going to punish me, but he refused to tell me what that punishment would be exactly.

As we walked into Eric's office, we found Pam sitting behind his desk, her eyes fixed on the computer screen.

"Bluefly is having a one-day dress sale," Pam said by way of explanation as Eric levelled her with a glare. "And since you wanted me to be here early, I'll have to do my shopping here."

"Ooh," I said, as I shuffled closer to Pam. "I love Bluefly. Eric and me bought a few of my new dresses there."

Without saying a word, Pam scooted half out of the seat and motioned for me to join her, so I sat down beside her. We barely fit in Eric's office chair together, but we made it work.

"This would look good on you, little witch," Pam said, clicking on a short ivory dress.

"It's beautiful," I said, and at once Pam clicked on the right size and added it to the shopping cart. "You don't have to buy me a dress, Pam."

"I'm using Eric's credit card," Pam said, and clicked on a pastel green dress. "And this one would look perfect on me."

Eric cleared his throat. And when neither Pam or me looked up, he did it again until he got our attention.

"You should not be shopping, my beautiful witch," Eric said, and that got Pam's attention. She looked from me to Eric. "Your punishment will commence now," Eric added with a smirk.

I gulped as Pam stared at me with glee. "You're being punished? What did you do to piss our master off?"

"I disobeyed him," I muttered, and Pam cackled. I resisted the urge to poke her in the side with my elbow.

"Come," Eric said, holding out his hand. I got up and walked towards him, my feet feeling as though they were suddenly made of stone. I grabbed Eric's hand and let him lead me out of the office.

"I expect you to be done when I return," Eric called over his shoulder to Pam, who muttered that she could shop faster than a fangbanger could drop their panties.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I actually felt.

"You'll see," Eric said, and pulled me along until we stopped in front of the door to the basement. My heart sank and my stomach dropped. Was he going to chain me up with silver in the basement?

But no matter how bad I felt, I would face this with my head held high. I had disobeyed my maker, and now I would accept the punishment. To do anything less would make me a coward.

Eric led me down the stairs into the dark, dank room. It was empty of any prisoners, nor was there a trace of poor ripped up Royce.

Eric let go of my hand and crossed his arms. "Undress."

I blinked, but didn't dare disobey him, so I stepped out of my heels, unzipped my dress and let it fall to the floor. Then I looked up at Eric expectantly.

"Everything," Eric said, and I sighed and pulled off my bra and stepped out of my panties. Once I stood there naked, I squared my shoulders and looked him in the eye.

"Kneel."

I sank to my knees, and when Eric narrowed his eyes at me, I stared down at the floor.

"You have disobeyed me," Eric said. "I gave you a specific order, and you wilfully disobeyed me. I will tolerate much from you, my child, but I will not tolerate disobedience. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I'm sorry," I whispered, even though I knew that was rather inadequate as far as apologies go. I had wilfully disobeyed him, and we both knew it.

Eric quirked an eyebrow at me.

"I'm sorry, Master," I tried, and now Eric nodded. He moved to the far side of the dungeon and pulled down a pair of shackles attached to steel chains from the ceiling. I was immediately relieved to see they weren't made out of silver. Eric grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up.

"Raise your arms."

I did as Eric told me and winced when the cold metal closed around my wrists. Eric pulled on the chains and raised me up in the air until my feet were dangling a foot above the floor.

"You will stay here for as long as it pleases me. If you attempt to break these chains or teleport yourself out of here, I will not be as forgiving," Eric said with a nod towards a cabinet on the wall where I spotted some silver chains hanging.

"Yes, Master," I mumbled.

Without saying another word, Eric zipped out of the dungeon. He turned off the lights when he reached the top of the stairs and when the door clicked shut I was left hanging in total darkness.

I sighed. My shoulders were aching from my awkward position, but I figured that was just part of the punishment. I was grateful I wasn't human anymore, since I was pretty sure this would have hurt a lot more on a human body.

For minutes, hours, days, I thought of very little at all, occasionally zoning out. And then I got hungry. Eric hadn't let me drink any True Blood at the house earlier, and since I'd lost so much blood crying the day before, I was now really building up an appetite.

Also part of the punishment, I figured. Letting the poor baby vampire go hungry in the basement.

I didn't dare move, even though my position was uncomfortable. I was far too afraid to accidentally break the chains with my vampire strength, and I really did not want Eric to take silver to me. I knew he'd told me it hurt him to do so, but I had no doubt Eric would silver me if I disobeyed him again so quickly.

And that made me think about my current situation. Here I was, hanging naked from the ceiling in a vampire's dungeon. I should be outraged about that. I knew with certainty that just a few months ago, I would have been outraged if anyone had tried to do this to me, no matter the reason. And yet now I was perfectly accepting of my punishment.

The bond between a vampire maker and child really was a very strange thing.

I knew I'd told Eric I regretted being a vampire during our heated discussion the night before, but I hadn't meant it.

The bond between a maker and child was so intimate, so unlike anything a human could ever experience. And I loved it. Even if it meant punishment like this, I loved my bond with Eric. Even now I was able to sense him, a dull feeling in the back of my mind that told me my maker was near.

And I loved the feel of him when we were intimate. When we touched each other, my blood prickled inside me as it called out to his blood. There wasn't a feeling in a human life that could compare to that: knowing with absolute certainty that you belonged to that person.

No, no matter all the things that had happened, I didn't regret becoming a vampire one bit if that meant I could have this bond with Eric forever.

And that inevitably made me think of Godric. I had told him I wasn't sure I'd ever forgive him for what he'd done, but that wasn't true. I knew I would forgive him in time. I loved him too much not to. But learning that Godric had manipulated me, even just a little, did hurt. It hurt to think he could do that to me, and if I was completely honest with myself, it also hurt to know that I hadn't realized he was doing it.

But I had been so infatuated with him that I'd simply refused to question all the things he did.

Well, I reasoned, plenty of girls were so infatuated with their boyfriends they missed far worse things about their significant others.

As time passed I started wondering if Eric meant for me to spend the day like this. That gave me a moment of true panic. I didn't feel safe here, not during the day when I was helpless.

What if somebody attacked the bar during the day? Sure, the Fellowship of the Sun was in shambles after Steve Newlin had been arrested, but there were plenty of other crazy vampire haters out there. What if they firebombed the bar? Would I feel it if my body burned to ashes while the sun was still up? Would I feel it if some psycho sneaked into the basement during the day and drove a stake through my heart?

For the first time, my body moved on its own accord while panic coiled itself around my heart. The chains rattled above me but thankfully they didn't break.

Would Eric really allow me to spend the day in such an unsafe situation? I couldn't image that he would. He seemed to really like me, even love me, after all. But I was being punished. Perhaps leaving me in an unsafe location for the day was part of the punishment.

I checked our bond and found it humming quietly in the back of my mind. Eric was nearby and he was calm. I wondered what he was doing. Perhaps he was working in his office. Or maybe he was sitting on his throne, observing the fangbangers. And that made me remember Yvetta, and I wondered if she was shaking her fake boobs at him.

I forcefully reminded myself of the conversation I'd had with Eric the day before. Eric wouldn't just go have fun with the likes of Yvetta without coming to an agreement with me first.

But I couldn't help worrying about it. Maybe that was part of the punishment, too. Eric knew me well enough to know I'd worry about something like that.

Just let the baby vampire drive herself crazy. Perfect punishment.

I willed my thoughts in another direction. I thought about Pam, and wondered what kind of dresses she'd ordered. I thought about the blog I'd been working on during the last few days. Eric had approved the design and the posts I'd written. All I needed to do now was take a few pictures of the bar to add to the blog and I could incorporate the whole thing to Fangtasia's website. I'd finally be earning my keep.

I wondered how much time had passed. I had absolutely no idea about time as I hung in the darkness. I tried listening for the sounds of the bar but couldn't pick anything up. Then again, the basement was very well insulated, to keep anyone from hearing the screams from human prisoners, most likely.

All I knew was that dawn had yet to come. I'd know it when the sun rose, but other than that I had no way of telling time.

I was also getting hungrier. I was a very young vampire, still. Also a recently drained vampire. And because Eric had seen to my needs so well up until now, I had no idea how often a young vampire like me really had to feed before the hunger became too much.

More time passed and I entertained myself with humming my favourite songs. It was better than worrying about being stuck here during the day while the bar was under attack.

Finally, the door clicked open and the lights sprang to life. Eric strolled down the stairs and my heart surged. I was extremely happy to see him.

Eric ignored me as he pulled off his shirt, kicked off his shoes and stepped out of his trousers. He approached me, completely naked, and very hard.

"How are you feeling?" Eric asked, looking me over.

"Hungry," I said.

Eric chuckled while I tried not to pout. "Your punishment is almost over," Eric said, his gaze lingering on my breasts. He reached out his hand and rubbed his fingertips across my nipples. I gasped and arched my back, silently begging him for more.

"You are going to give me pleasure," Eric whispered, his hand trailing down my body until he slipped his fingers between my folds. It only took a few rubs to heat up my body. "But you will receive none."

What? I blinked as Eric stepped closer and reached for my legs. He folded them around his hips, aligning his cock before he thrust inside me. I groaned and threw my head back. Feeling my maker's body connect with my own really was the best thing ever, and I wondered how Eric could think this wouldn't give me any pleasure.

I soon found out. Eric thrust deep inside me while my whole body swung back and forth, the chains rattling above us. My climax built and built and just as I was about to fall over the edge, Eric stopped moving.

"No!" I whined, trying to buck my hips to get more friction.

"Oh yes, my beautiful child," Eric said with a shit-eating grin. "No pleasure for you."

And then he did it again. He fucked me hard and deep, and the second I was about to climax, he drew back, completely unconcerned with my moaning and begging.

"This is torture," I gasped, bucking against him. But Eric was far stronger than me, so he had complete control over my body and thus over my orgasms.

"No, this is punishment," Eric said, and he pulled me closer and sank his fangs into my neck. I keened and held still so Eric could drink, but my body had other ideas and the moment Eric retracted his fangs from my neck, I pushed my hips against him, desperate for my own release.

"Please, master, please."

"No," Eric growled, and started thrusting inside me at a leisurely pace.

And he kept this up for I don't know how long. Fucking me, filling me, kissing me, but never allowing me to climax. After a while I wasn't sure anymore what was up and what was down, I was so desperate to come. This really was a terrible punishment, and I had to give Godric credit for trying to warn me Eric was always creative with his punishment.

When I was about ready to offer Eric to use silver on me if only he let me have an orgasm, the door of the basement banged open, and the sound of several pairs of high heels clicking on the stairs announced we had visitors.

Eric stilled his hips and looked over his shoulder. I did the same, and we shared a brief glance as we realized who our guests were.

Lorena stood there, with Sookie and Jessica behind her.

It was a very good thing I could no longer blush, because I was sure I'd never been more embarrassed in my life. Our guests wouldn't know I was being punished. They probably thought Eric and I had a kinky sex-life. But still, hanging there naked and well-fucked from the ceiling was embarrassing, no matter why our guests thought Eric and I were doing this.

Eric pulled out of me and strolled towards the ladies, completely naked. Sookie and Jessica looked away quickly, but Lorena seemed entirely unconcerned with his display.

"Lorena," Eric said pleasantly. "What brings you here?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt your training of your child, Sheriff," Lorena said, looking me over a few times. "But there is a situation that needs your immediate attention."

Eric nodded at her to continue.

"Bill has been taken."

"Taken when and by whom?" Eric asked.

Lorena sighed. "I sent Bill out on an errand earlier this evening, and not long after that I briefly felt his distress. When we went to investigate, we found his car abandoned by the side of the road. There were obvious signs of foul play."

"You couldn't track your child after he was taken?"

Lorena crossed her arms. "I have released Bill years ago, so our bond isn't what it used to be. And I tried tracking him, but it seems as though Bill has closed off his side of the bond."

Eric pondered on that for a minute, and then he said, "Are you sure he was taken? Perhaps he merely wanted to get away from you. I seem to remember he wasn't too keen to see you again."

Lorena bared her fangs at Eric and hissed, but before either one of them could say anything, Sookie spoke up. "His car was all dented, as if it had been driven off the road by another car."

"Be quiet, you stupid child," Lorena snapped, and then levelled Eric with a glare. "Bill is my child. His wishes are far less important than mine."

Eric nodded his agreement. "Well, if Bill was taken than as Sheriff of the area in which he resides it is my duty to look into the matter. I will contact you the moment I have news on his whereabouts. I trust you will do the same."

"Of course. Thank you, Sheriff." Lorena looked at me again and smiled. "I like your training methods. I might have to try that one for myself sometime." And with that, she turned on her heels and waved at Sookie and Jessica to follow her.

Eric stood before me a second later, grabbed my legs and thrust inside me.

"What was - "

"Quiet," Eric growled, his hips picking up speed. "I will finish first, then we'll talk."

I pursed my lips and moaned softly as Eric denied me yet another orgasm before he came deep inside me. After his body calmed, Eric leaned closer and gave me a hard kiss. He pulled out of me none too gently and reached up to unlock the shackles around my wrists. I fell down and slumped against his strong body before I found my footing.

"We'll talk upstairs," Eric said, waving at my pile of clothes. We got dressed with vampires speed and soon enough I followed Eric up the stairs. Pam was waiting for us in the hallway.

"What did that bitch want?" Pam asked.

"I'll tell you in a moment. I need to make a few phone calls. Wait here." He looked at both Pam and me, so I stayed put while Eric pulled out his phone and disappeared out the back door.

"So how was your punishment?" Pam asked as she looked me up and down.

"Frustrating," I said, and I glared at Pam as she started snickering.

"Eric's always very creative," she said, and then she leaned a little closer. "Though you should do well to remember than even Eric can be pushed to be less creative and more cruel. I suggest you try to be more obedient in the future."

I nodded. "Yeah, I realize he could have done far worse. You should have seen what Lorena is doing to Sookie and Jessica." I shuddered before I could stop myself.

"Oh, I doubt Eric will ever stoop to that level, but his is our master and he can make our lives very uncomfortable if he wishes." Pam shrugged and gave me a bright smile. "Now, cheer up, little witch. I have found you a few really nice dresses. You should get them in a few days."

That did cheer me up. "Thank you, Pam. I appreciate that. What did you find for yourself?"

Pam described in detail what kind of dresses she'd purchased, and I was surprised to learn Pam had a thing for pastels.

Eric pushed the backdoor open and motioned for us to join him outside. Once we stood in the service alley behind the club, Eric explained the situation to Pam.

"Bill's been kidnapped."

Pam snorted with laughter. "You sure about that? My guess would be he just ran as far away from that bitch as he could."

I snickered as Eric gave both Pam and me a tired look. "I just heard back from a few contacts and it does seem that Bill was taken. His car has been driven off the road."

"Who do you think did it?" I asked, at a loss of why anyone would want to kidnap Bill Compton. "Drainers?"

Eric shook his head, while Pam said, "Lorena has plenty of enemies who would use one of her children against her."

That hadn't even occurred to me. "So how do we go about finding him?"

"I've sent some trackers to see if they can pick anything up," Eric said. He didn't sound at all concerned, which surprised me. I was no fan of Bill, but if someone was kidnapping vampires in our area, you'd think we should be more concerned about that.

"I could use magic to find him. If I had some of his hair," I offered, but Eric shook his head at once.

"We can try that if the situation becomes desperate, but for now we'll just take it slowly."

"Why?"

"Because this keeps Lorena busy, and if we can't find Bill she might even move out of my area to go look for him," Eric said with a smirk.

I gaped at Eric and then I started giggling. "Gotcha."

"Pam, will you close up the bar? Turid and I still have a few things to discuss."

Pam nodded and strolled back inside the bar.

"Let's go home," Eric said, and we both remained quiet until we were seated in Eric's Corvette.

"Since this was your first punishment, I have kept it simple," Eric said with a sideways glance.

"And I appreciate that," I said quickly.

"But if you disobey me again, your punishment will be worse, do you understand?"

"Perfectly," I whispered, and then added, "Master."

"Good." Eric stared straight ahead for a few moments. "There is more we need to discuss about this situation."

"Okay."

"You let your emotions control your decisions yesterday."

I frowned. "Eric, I was upset - "

"That shouldn't matter."

I turned in my seat to look at him. "Come on, Eric. I'd just learned that my boyfriend had lied to me about some pretty big stuff. Any girl would get upset about that."

"But you aren't just any girl," Eric said as he narrowed his eyes at me. "You are a vampire and you are _my_ child. Letting your emotions control you like that weakens not only yourself, but also me."

I shrank back in my seat, wondering if this was true. "But I can't not get upset about such things."

Eric shook his head. "It doesn't matter what you feel on the inside. What matters is what you show on the outside."

"Ah."

"And yesterday, you were an emotional wreck, and anyone could see that. You let your emotions weaken you, and you let your emotions control you into making some very bad decisions."

"Maybe you're right," I muttered, not at all pleased Eric thought me weak in some form or another.

"This is a new lesson, Turid," Eric said, and he sounded perfectly serious. "From now on, you will not show your emotions. I do not care what you feel, but you will not show it, at least not in public, understood?"

"Yeah, I understand." I crossed my arms and stared out the window.

"I don't think you do, and you need to," Eric said. "You should know by now that our world is brutal. Show any sign of weakness, and someone will make you suffer for it. And because you are my child, someone will try to make me suffer for it as well."

I nodded meekly. I did understand that. I had seen enough of vampire behaviour to know weakness wasn't tolerated. "I get that, I really do. But, Eric, can we make a deal?"

Eric quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Just hear me out, okay?" I said, desperate for him to understand this. "Last night, part of what had me so upset was that you just cut me off at first. You refused to acknowledge my feelings even in private, and you refused to listen to me. Only afterwards did you try to explain things to me and then it actually made sense. If you'd talked to me beforehand I wouldn't have been so upset and I probably wouldn't have just teleported to Dallas." I inhaled a deep breath. "So can we please make a deal that I will do my utmost not to show emotions in public, and that you will try your best to just listen to me in private when something upsets me?"

"It helped you to calm down when I talked to you?" Eric asked, sounding almost surprised.

"Yes, it really did."

"Very well. Then we can make this deal. But understand this, my child, that if you have another public breakdown like you did yesterday, I will punish you just for that. We cannot show any weakness to anyone."

"Yes, I understand. I really do." I offered Eric a small smile, and he returned it.

"I know you are hungry, but you will not feed for the rest of the night. Think of it as part of your punishment."

"All right," I sighed. I was hungry. I wasn't starving to my final death, but I had this hollow, gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. I resigned myself to just accepting it as part of my punishment. I thought about the things Eric had said, and I had to admit that he had a point. I had broken down yesterday, and I knew enough about the vampire world to know that if the wrong people saw such a thing, they'd use it against you.

I reached over and placed my hand on Eric's thigh. "I am sorry I just lost it like that yesterday," I whispered. "I should have known better."

"You are a very young vampire still," Eric said, his voice reassuring. "I do not expect you to do everything perfectly. But some matters are more important than others, and you showing weakness is something we cannot afford."

"I will not forget this lesson," I said, and I meant it. We sat in silence for a moment, and just as we pulled up to Eric's house, I turned to look at him. "Who do you really think took Bill?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"But you don't think this will be a threat to other vampires in your area?"

Eric turned off the ignition and looked at me. "No, I think this attack was geared towards Bill and Lorena specifically. Lorena is not well-liked in our community."

"What a surprise," I mumbled as we got out of the car. Eric chuckled and he gave me a deep kiss.

"I am proud of you how you handled yourself this evening," Eric said as he looked me in the eye. My chest warmed at hearing those words. "You accepted your punishment and stayed strong. Well done, my beautiful child."

"Thanks." I gave him a long kiss in return, and then Eric made his way to his office to do some more work. I sat on the couch in the living room and contemplated what to do with the few hours remaining before sunrise. I could watch some TV or work on the blog, but what I really wanted to do was write Godric a letter. Not just to inform Godric of all that had happened, but also because writing those letters helped me a great deal to sort through my own thoughts and emotions.

Finally, I decided to just do it, no matter how I felt about Godric at that moment. I did want to try and repair whatever was broken between us, and I wasn't so stubborn to think Godric had to take the first step. I got out Eric's fancy stationary and started to write, filling Godric in on everything that had happened and on the conversations I'd had with Eric.

Eric joined me in the living room an hour later and smiled when he saw what I was doing.

"You are trying to make amends with my maker?"

"Yep," I said, and handed him the sheets I'd already filled so he could read them. Once he was done I gave Eric a curious look. "You're okay with this? You're not secretly hoping I'll never talk to Godric again and you can keep me all to yourself?"

Eric titled his head and frowned. "No," he said. "That would make you miserable and I do not want you to feel bad."

I smiled and finished my letter so we could go and snuggle together in bed before the sun rose. And even though I had been denied blood and orgasms that night, I still felt pretty happy.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

"Bobby delivered a package for you today," Eric said as I joined him in his office the next evening.

I looked longingly at the fridge and then gave Eric a hopeful look.

"Go ahead," Eric said, and I yanked a bottle of True Blood from the fridge and was tempted to drink it cold. But I controlled myself and waited the few moments that it took to heat it up. I groaned when I sipped the bottle and the warm blood slid down my throat. Not as good as human blood, but it would do just fine to quench my thirst. After I finished my first bottle and heated up another one, I went to see what the package was Bobby had delivered for me. Perhaps it was the dresses Pam had ordered for me.

But when Eric handed me the small package I knew it couldn't be dresses. I ripped open the box and I frowned as I saw a note and a book inside. I read the note first.

_My dear heart,_

_I do not know how to make amends with you for what I've done. I can only hope that you can forgive me for doing something I thought was right, even though I now understand I was wrong to treat you in such a way. Please know that I regret this with all my heart. _

_Yours,_

_Godric_

I smiled and gave the note to Eric, who'd been trying to read it over my shoulder. Then I noticed the book and I started snickering. The title had been 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus', but Godric had crossed out the 'men' and 'women' with a black marker and replaced them with 'vampires' and 'humans'.

I held up the book so Eric could see.

"Vampires are from Mars, Humans are from Venus." Eric grinned and started laughing.

"Pretty funny," I said, and I was truly pleased Godric was making an effort and seemed genuinely sorry for what he'd done. I sent him a quick text message to thank him for his present and to tell him I'd sent him a letter which he should read first before we could talk on the phone again.

I knew we'd be all right eventually. Heck, if I could forgive Eric for shutting off our bond so I ended up drained, I could forgive Godric for acting like a vampire.

Eric joined me in the shower and fucked me against the wall, and this time he let me have my orgasms. I was so relieved that I thanked him profusely afterward, much to my embarrassment. I had learned one thing, though. Having sex with Eric while being denied to climax was truly torture, and I hoped I'd never have to experience it again.

Once we arrived in Fangtasia, Eric and I fed on a couple of fangbangers, and I moaned as I tasted the sweet human blood, much to Eric's amusement. After Eric took care of some business in his office, we settled in our chairs on the little stage. It was a slow night, but that didn't bother me. It only meant less jealous conversations to overhear.

And just as I was thinking that despite everything that had happened in the last few days, my life was still pretty darn good, trouble walked through the door.

The Queen of Louisiana, with the Magister right beside her.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

**A/N: They just can't catch a break, can they? The next chapter should be up soon. I will be following certain storylines from season 3, however, since I've already changed so much in this universe, many storylines will have their own twists to it. **

**Thank you all for reading, and let me know what you think! Reviews keep me writing. **


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

I desperately tried to remember my lesson on not showing emotions from the night before as I pursed my lips and tried to look as unconcerned as I could. Eric zipped out of his chair at once to greet our unexpected and unwelcome guests, and I followed him at a slower pace.

"Your Highness, Magister," Eric said with a curt nod. I stood beside Eric and didn't say anything, merely bowed while I tried to keep my expression as blank as possible. Eric had told me about the Magister. That he worked for the Authority, and that he was the judge, jury and occasionally executioner of vampire law.

Thankfully, the Magister barely acknowledged me as he nodded at Eric. "Mr Northman. I haven't seen you since the Bill Compton trial."

"Yes, it's been too long," Eric replied with a fake smile. I could tell through our bond that Eric was anything but pleased with our guests. "May I ask what brings you to Fangtasia?"

"We need to talk," the Queen said. She'd looked me over once but didn't acknowledge me any further, which didn't bother me one bit. "You should probably close up."

"We can just use my office," Eric said.

"It's bugged," the Queen replied.

"How do you know this?" Eric asked, a slimmer of emotion crossing his face before it became blank again.

"Because I'm the one who bugged it," the Queen said with a shrug. "It's how I know I can trust you."

It took everything I had to keep my mouth from falling open. Eric had been right in his suspicions. The fucking Queen had been spying on him.

Even the Magister looked slightly surprised at this news, but the Queen ignored him as she walked further into the bar. "All right, everyone out. Now," she said loudly, and not a human in the bar dared defy her.

For the first time the Magister looked at me, and then at Eric as though he was expecting something.

"My apologies, Magister," Eric said, gesturing towards me. "This is Turid Black. My newest child."

"She's a witch," the Queen said as she joined our little group again. I tried not to glare at her as I nodded politely at the Magister.

"A witch," the Magister said, looking me up and down with narrowed eyes. "I'm surprised, Mr Northman, that you would take such a risk. I have sentenced many witches turned vampire to their final deaths. I hope for your sake you can control her."

The Magister's words sent a chill down my spine, but I managed to keep my cool.

"My child is most obedient," Eric said and looked down at me. "Turid, why don't you wait outside while we conduct our business."

"Yes, Master," I said with a nod at Eric. Then I nodded at the Queen and the Magister and walked steadily out of the bar. I was acting like a good vampire child, and I knew Eric would be pleased with me. I was insanely curious to know what would be discussed between them, of course, but I knew better than to think I had a right to listen in. Besides, I was sure Eric would fill me in later.

Outside the bar I spotted a few vampires standing around the parking lot, and I assumed they were part of the Magister's and the Queen's retinue. I nodded politely at them, and a few of them nodded back. I stood beside the door and waited patiently, trying very hard not to let any of my curiosity show. I couldn't really hear any of the conversation going on inside, save for some vague mutters. I may have zoned out at some point until the sound of the door slamming beside me snapped my mind back to attention.

The Magister stopped beside me. "Ms Black. How long have you been a vampire? I wasn't aware Mr Northman had turned another child."

I cleared my throat. "For about three weeks now, Sir. I only registered with the AVL about two weeks ago."

"Ah." The Magister pulled a Blackberry out of his pocket and pressed a few buttons as he stared intently at the little screen. "That explains why I don't have your information available yet. Tell me, are you pleased with your master?"

"Yes, Sir," I said at once, wondering what the heck he was getting at. "Eric's a very good master."

"And you have no problems following his command?"

"No, Sir."

"What kind of magic does Mr Northman demand you perform for him?"

If I'd still been human, I might have started hyperventilating at this point. "He hasn't demanded I do any magic yet, Sir." Which was a blatant lie, of course, but I wasn't about to tell the Magister Eric had asked me to glamour a couple of vampires.

"Hm." The Magister tucked the Blackberry back inside his jacket and stared at me with narrowed eyes. "I hope for your sake, Ms Black, that we don't meet again."

I nodded, resisting the urge to bite my lip. The Magister nodded back and strolled towards a waiting car. Just then, the Queen left the bar and without looking at me she joined the remaining vampires in the parking lot.

A small shudder passed through me, and I realized Eric had called me. I zipped inside the bar and found Eric sitting on his throne, his head in his hands.

"That bad, huh?" I said softly, and Eric snapped his gaze up at me.

"Let's go," he said, and I quietly followed him out the bar after Eric locked up. I didn't dare talk to him until we were seated in his Corvette and were well away from the bar.

"So what happened?"

Eric gritted his teeth. "The Magister has become aware of the uptake in the users of vampire blood in my area, and he suspects a vampire is behind it.

"No," I said, a cold chill filling my chest. "No!"

Eric shrugged. "I doubt he suspects me at this time, or the Queen, but I'm not sure how long that will last."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "Maybe Godric can help?"

"I don't see how."

This was far worse than anything I could have imaged. If the Magister found out Eric had been selling vampire blood, even if it was on command of his Queen, there would be very little we could do to stop him from punishing us.

"Couldn't you tell the Magister this is all the Queen's doing?" I asked softly, even though it sounded pretty naive even to me.

"No. If I were to betray our Queen, I would be punished for treason."

"That is so unfair," I said, stomping my foot down in sheer frustration. I closed my eyes again and leaned my head back. There had to be something we could do. There just had to be.

"Oh, the Magister asked me a few questions when he left the bar," I said, as I was violently wrecking my brain to come up with a plan.

"Tell me," Eric said, glancing at me with a frown.

"He asked me how long I'd been a vampire, and if I thought you were a good master, and what kind of magic you made me do."

"What did you tell him?"

I smiled at Eric. "The truth, except for the magic part. I told him you hadn't made me do any magic yet. I'm not stupid, Eric. I wasn't about to tell him you asked me to glamour vampires." And at once I sat up and slapped a hand over my mouth.

"What?" Eric asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"I know what to do!"

We'd pulled into Eric's garage, but neither one of us got out of the car.

"We frame Lorena!" I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and leaning closer to Eric. "We distract her, I teleport to Bill's house to stash the blood, then I get her alone and glamour the crap out of her so she believes she was selling it all along, and then we point the Magister in her direction."

Eric stared blankly at me. "Huh."

"This could work, Eric," I said urgently, placing my hands on his chest. "This way we get rid of Lorena and the Magister all in one fell swoop."

Eric nodded slowly, and then wrapped his hands around my head and gave me a hard kiss. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I grinned at him, and we finally got out of the car. Once inside the bedroom, Eric sat down on the edge of the bed and gestured for me to join him.

"Here's what we'll do," Eric said, and I nodded eagerly at him to continue. "Tomorrow, you will take what remains of the blood to Lafayette and tell him to sell it as quickly as possible at half price. You'll hold a few vials back."

"But why sell it? Why not plant it all in Bill's house?"

Eric sighed. "Because the Queen ordered me to. She's having problems with the IRS and she's broke."

"Ah."

"Afterwards, you drive to Bill's house and inform Lorena that we've had news about Bill, and that we believe he's been taken to Mississippi."

"Is that true?"

Eric nodded. "I heard from one of my trackers. They followed the trail all the way to the state line."

"Okay." I placed my hand on Eric's thigh. I was so elated we had a plan that might fix this whole mess up. "Please continue."

"You then tell Lorena I expect her in Fangtasia at once to formulate a plan to bring Bill back. You leave at the same time she does. You follow her back to Fangtasia. This way, if someone is watching us, they won't be able to blame us for setting her up. Once you're back in the bar, I will tell you to leave Lorena and me to talk in private. Then you teleport to Bill's house and stash the blood. I will keep Lorena busy for as long as it takes you to do that."

"That shouldn't take too much time," I said with a shrug.

"Good. If Lorena brings Sookie and Jessica, which I suspect she will, I'll tell them to wait in the bar. When you return, you'll glamour Lorena."

"Sounds like a plan!" I threw an arms around Eric's neck and planted a wet kiss on his cheek.

Eric chuckled and rubbed a hand down my back.

"You really are a good master," I whispered in Eric's ear. And I meant it. I remembered Godric telling me he had listened to Eric's advice even when Eric had been a young vampire, and I realized that Eric was doing the same with me. Even though I knew next to nothing about vampire politics, Eric was always willing to hear me out and even go along with something I came up with.

"You want to show me how good?" Eric asked and waggled his eyebrows.

I was more than willing, and I spent the rest of the night doing exactly that.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

The next evening I dressed in something casual instead of my customary dress. I selected my favourite brown boots, a pair of black jeans and a red Fangtasia t-shirt. I topped it all off with a mid-length black leather jacket Eric had gotten me. If I was to be sneaking around and teleporting back and forth all evening, I wanted to be comfortable.

Once at the bar, Eric and I fed quickly on a couple of fangbangers, and then Eric handed me a small cooler filled with vials of vampire blood that he had hidden in his office. We didn't speak, because we now knew for certain the office was bugged. I took out four vials and stuffed them in my jacket, and then placed the cooler in a plastic shopping bag so it wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. Eric handed me the keys to his SUV, since his Corvette would draw too much attention.

"Be careful," Eric whispered in my ear as I gave him a goodbye kiss.

"Always," I whispered back, and with that I left the bar without a backwards glance. This was my mission, and I would make sure to see it done.

The SUV wasn't as luxurious a car as the Corvette, but it was still a pretty sweet ride and I made good time getting to Bon Temps. I regularly checked my rear view mirror to make sure I wasn't being followed, but I couldn't see anything suspicious.

I arrived at Merlotte's, and my inner Lafayette light sprang on, which told me I'd guessed correctly that Lafayette would be working. I sneaked inside through the backdoor and ducked into the kitchen without being seen.

Lafayette's eyes widened as he spotted me. I zipped closer to him and handed him the plastic shopping bag. "Sell this as quickly as you can, at half price if you have to. Do not contact us. We will contact you."

"Sure thing, girlfriend," Lafayette said dubiously. I could tell through our bond that he wasn't really afraid of me, just a little wary. That was fine by me.

"See you later," I said, and zipped out of the bar. I listened carefully as I strolled across the parking lot, but I couldn't hear any signs of being watched. Nor could I see any suspicious individuals lurking about.

Good. That was the easy part of the mission. Now for the difficult part.

Eric had given me very clear instructions on how to behave around Lorena. Just be perfectly polite, tell her the things I had to, and then if she had anymore questions, refer her to the upcoming meeting with Eric. It shouldn't be too difficult. I was still feeling quite nervous about being alone with Lorena. I knew she wasn't a vampire you wanted to piss off.

The drive to Bill's house took only a few minutes, and when I rolled up the driveway I was surprised to see the house was completely dark.

I got out the car and debated for a moment what to do. If Lorena wasn't there, I could teleport inside the house and stash the blood. It would only take a few seconds to do so. And then I could glamour Lorena at a later time.

I walked up to the front door and knocked a few times. I listened carefully if I could hear someone moving around inside, but I heard nothing. I knocked again, louder this time.

"Lorena, this is Turid. I'm here on behalf of Sheriff Northman," I called out. "I have a message for you regarding Bill."

I listened again and this time I heard a few faint murmurs coming from the house.

"Hello? Lorena?" I yelled.

I heard a few more murmurs, louder this time. I inhaled deeply, and I thought I could smell blood and that worried me. Then again, Lorena had spent so much time 'training' Sookie and Jessica it was no surprise there was a faint trace of blood in the air.

Should I call Eric? Our plan had been put on hold, at least the getting Lorena to Fangtasia part. But I could still stash the blood, and as far as I was concerned, that was the most important part of the plan. As long as some blood was hidden in Bill's house, we could point an accusatory finger at Lorena should the Magister come calling again.

My mind made up, I gathered my power inwards and teleported to the other side of the door. It was dark inside the house, but thanks to my vampire sight I saw well enough to get around.

"Hello?" I called again, and this time I could hear a clear noise coming from further down the living room. I zipped towards the sound and found a closet door. Carefully, I opened it, and at once the sounds became a little louder. I listened for a few seconds and realized the sounds were muted voices and they were coming from below the floor.

Of course! This was the closet with the hidden hole where Bill used to rest. I spotted a slight crack in the wooden flooring, and I crouched down and pulled on it. The hidden trap door swung open.

Sookie and Jessica were lying inside the hidden hole, their wrists and ankles bound with silver.

"What happened?" I asked as I gaped down at them.

"Lorena left," Sookie said through gritted teeth. I knew from first hand experience in how much pain she was. "She got...phone call...left us here."

"Hang on," I said and stood up.

"Don't leave," Jessica whispered, and I quickly shook my head.

"I need something to use, I can't touch silver either."

Sookie gave me a faint nod in response and I zipped out of the closet. I looked around but couldn't see any gloves lying about. I hurried into the kitchen, and spotted a door that might lead to a cupboard. I opened it but found only empty, dusty shelves inside. This cupboard hadn't been used in a long time. And that gave me an idea. I took the vials out of my pocket and wiped them on my shirt. I had no idea if the Magister would dust these things for fingerprints if he ever had to use them as evidence, but I decided it was better not to take the risk. I carefully placed the vials, now without fingerprints, on the bottom shelf of the cupboard and closed the door.

There. Blood planted. Now to find something to rescue Sookie and Jessica with. I pulled open a few kitchen cabinets and quickly found a stack of neatly folded kitchen towels. I wrapped them around my hands and hurried back to the closet.

I got my hand around Sookie's thigh and shoulder and thanks to my vampire strength it wasn't difficult at all to pull her out of the hole. I dragged her into the living room and then went back to get Jessica. Once I had them both lying on the living room floor I tentatively touched the silver around their wrists. Even with the kitchen towels wrapped around my hands it still felt decidedly painful, but it didn't burn or cripple me.

I gritted my teeth and pulled on the chains. They weren't very thick and easily snapped.

Sookie made a pained sound as I unwrapped her wrists.

"Sorry," I said. "There is no easy way to do this."

"I know. Just do it," Sookie said.

After a few moments I had them both unchained and they were able to get to their feet, albeit a little unsteadily.

"Thank you," Jessica said, and I simply smiled at her.

"Do you have blood in the fridge?" I asked, and when Jessica nodded I guided them both into the kitchen. I popped three bottles of True Blood into the microwave while Sookie and Jessica gingerly sat down at the kitchen table. After the bottles were heated up I joined them and for a minute we all quietly drank our blood.

"So where's Lorena?" I finally asked.

"She got a phone call earlier. We think it was about Bill," Jessica said. "Then she wrapped us with silver and stuffed us in that hole and left."

"Huh." I looked between Sookie and Jessica.

"What did you come here for?" Sookie asked as she stared at me.

"Eric asked me to come to tell Lorena that Bill's probably in Mississippi, and to invite Lorena to come back to Fangtasia to form a plan of attack, as it were."

"Well, I'm glad you came," Sookie said, her voice oddly hollow. "Because now I can finally get away from that bitch."

"Oh, Sookie," I whispered, my heart sinking for her. "You can't get away. Even if you leave right now and flee the state, Lorena will be able to track you. You're her child." I looked at Jessica. "You could probably make a run for it if you wanted, because I doubt Bill would summon you back as long as Lorena is around."

Jessica stared at the table as she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

Abruptly, Sookie stood up and got three more bottles from the fridge. She didn't speak as she waited for the blood to heat, but I could tell from the hard line of her shoulders that she was anything but pleased by what I'd just told her.

"Does Eric ever wrap you in silver?" Sookie asked me out of the blue as he handed us each a warm bottle.

"No," I said quietly.

"Does he ever hit you? Or hurt someone else to make you do stuff you don't want to do?"

"Nope."

"Does he even punish you at all?"

I shrugged. "The worst Eric's done to me is withhold my orgasms during sex after I'd disobeyed him."

Sookie let out a laugh, but it sounded pained. "I remember you once telling me that Eric wasn't so bad, that there were far worse vampires out there, and I had such a hard time believing you. I really thought Eric was the meanest vampire I'd ever met."

"Look, Eric's not perfect, and he does expect a certain level of obedience to keep us both safe, but he's a good maker and he isn't cruel. I love him."

Sookie leaned her head in her hand as she sat down at the table. I felt sorry for her, even though it had mostly been her own fault that she was in this situation in the first place. But to be tortured by your own maker...I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

"If it makes you feel any better, I know that Sam and some others are looking into a way to get rid of Lorena. Permanently," I said, and at once Sookie looked up at me.

"Really?" Jessica said with wide eyes.

"Well, I'm not sure how much of a chance they have, especially without Bill, but I know they're trying." I offered them both a weak smile. "You didn't hear that from me, though."

"We won't tell," Jessica said quickly, and she shared a relieved smile with Sookie.

"Is there any way I can get away from Lorena until Sam and the others can kill her?" Sookie asked me, her tone eager and even a little hopeful.

"Not that I'm aware of. The rights of a maker to their child are absolute. No one can come between them, not even the Queen or the Magister. The only way for a child to be truly free of the maker is if the maker is dead. I'm sorry."

"Do we need Bill to get rid of Lorena?" Sookie asked, and she sounded hollow again.

"I told Sam they'd stand a better chance against Lorena with Bill on their side. Lorena is a pretty strong vampire, after all."

"And he's in Mississippi?"

"Yep, but I have no idea where or who has taken him. Eric's looking into it, though," I said.

Before Sookie could ask another question, we heard the sound of a car driving up to the house.

"Shit! Is that Lorena?" I asked as we all jumped to our feet.

"Doesn't sound like her car," Jessica whispered and she rushed to the wall and turned off the kitchen lights. The three of us zipped into the darkened living room and peered out the window. A black van with Mississippi license plates had stopped in front of the house and five men got out, looking around carefully.

One look at their auras told me they were werewolves.

For a split second I thought about teleporting myself out of there and back to Fangtasia. But I couldn't do that. I didn't want Jessica and Sookie to know I could teleport, especially with our current plan to frame Lorena. And I couldn't, in good conscience, leave Jessica and Sookie to fend for themselves against a bunch of wolves. They'd recently been silvered and wouldn't be back to their full strenght yet.

The werewolves approached the house, and I turned towards Sookie. "Go and call Eric, and tell him we're under attack by Mississippi werewolves. He'll come to help."

"Werewolves?" Sookie asked in disbelief, and I gave her an impatient shove. Sookie zipped up the stairs and out of sight.

"You and me, we're gonna fight, okay?" I told Jessica, and I was surprised to see determination in her eyes. I used every ounce of vampire speed I had to move around the living room and kitchen to gather up kitchen towels and the silver chains. I handed some of them to Jessica.

"Werewolves can be hurt by silver just as we can," I told her, as we both wrapped the towels around our hands and picked up the chains. "Use your speed, get behind them, hurt them with the silver and then tear their throats out."

I'd never really fought like a vampire before, but I remembered a story Eric had told me about him and Godric taking on a whole pack of hostile werewolves with a similar tactic. Get behind them and bite their throats; quite literally going for the jugular.

One of the wolves kicked in the front door a few seconds later, and my fangs snapped to attention. Jessica's followed a moment later.

The first werewolf through the door was treated to a stinging hex I threw at him, and thanks to my demon powers it flipped him backwards against the wall. It didn't kill him, but I was sure his head was hurting something awful. But before I could speak another incantation the other werewolves burst through the door and advanced on us with their teeth bared.

I growled at the men and lashed the silver chain out in front of me like a whip.

"Awww, do the vampires want to play?" one of the werewolves said. They were all burly men dressed in biker gear. "We'll play!" And with that, the guy launched himself at me. But I was quicker and whipped the chain right in his face. It burned his skin and he fell back, howling in pain.

"You're gonna pay for that, bitch!" another werewolf snapped and jumped at me, but I zipped out of the way until I stood behind him. He was wearing a leather biker vest with nothing underneath, so I lashed the silver chain around his upper arm, and when that distracted him, I jumped on his back and bit down on the side of his throat as hard as I could.

Flesh ripped under my fangs and hot blood spurted all over my face, but I gnawed deeper and deeper until we both went down. Unfortunately, that gave another werewolf the time to connect his boot with my face. That flung me backwards as I felt something break in my jaw. But my vampire healing powers kicked in at once and the pain ebbed away. I had lost my grip on the silver chain, and now I was without weapons, save for my fangs.

I jumped up just in time to evade another kick to the head, and as I zipped behind my attackers, I noticed that Jessica was holding her own. She'd taken down a werewolf in a similar manner as I had, and was now squaring off with another one, zipping out of his way again and again.

"Leave that one," one of the wolves shouted. "We only need the blonde!"

I zipped behind another werewolf and was about to jump on his back for a repeat performance when one of the silver chains wrapped around my wrist. The werewolves were all wearing leather gloves and one of them had picked up my discarded chain and thrown it at me.

I went down growling, and I tried to get up with all my might, but at once one of the werewolves approached me and wrapped a silver chain around my neck. I feebly tried to chant a spell, but my power died out within me because of the silver that was touching my skin.

I was done for. I could only hope Eric would get there soon.

"What do you want?" I growled through clenched teeth.

"You'll find out soon enough," the werewolf holding me said. He seemed to be the leader. "Let's go."

"What about them, Cooter?" a bald werewolf said, gesturing at the two bodies of their fallen friends.

"Fuckers got themselves killed by a couple of girls," Cooter, the one holding me, said. "Let them rot here for all I care."

And with that, Cooter pulled on the chain he had wrapped around my neck and unceremoniously dragged me out of the house. I glanced at Jessica and saw her staring after me. "Tell Eric," I groaned and Jessica gave a faint nod before I lost sight of her.

Cooter dumped me inside the van and got in after me, as did the bald werewolf. The other one crawled behind the wheel.

And it wasn't until the car door slammed shut that I realized I was getting kidnapped. Again.

0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

**A/N: Some of the dialogue between Eric, the Magister and the Queen at the start of this chapter is taken from episode 1 of season 3. **

**Poor Turid. Kidnapped again. Will Eric get there in time? You'll find out tomorrow. Thanks so much for reading and be sure to let me know what you think. Reviews keep me writing!**


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Eric would come for me. I could feel our bond humming with his anger and anxiety. And the three werewolves would be no match for Eric's fury.

The silver around my neck and wrists burned my skin and sent constant ripples of pain through my entire body. I faintly realized Eric and I had yet to train me with silver. Eric had insisted I recover completely from my draining first. But after this incident, I was going to pressure him in training me with silver. I was also going to demand he teach me how to fight properly.

The constant pain made me want to lash out, kick, bite, growl, but my body didn't respond to my mind. All I had left was my voice.

"What do you want from me?" I snarled up at Cooter. I was lying on the floor of the van while Cooter sat on a bench beside me.

"Shut up, bitch," Cooter said, hardly even looking at me.

"My master is going to come for me and he will kill you all," I said, my fangs raking over my bottom lip, leaving bloody trails in their wake. "He's a thousand years old. He'll have no problems tearing apart a bunch of rabid dogs like yourselves."

"What the hell is she talking about?" the bald guy, who was sitting on my other side, said.

"Just ignore her," Cooter muttered. "Bitch is lying through her teeth."

I snorted. "Why would I be lying?"

"Because we're taking you to your mistress, and I'm sure she'll be real happy to punish you for killing one of our pack," Cooter said as he glared at me.

"My mistress?" I asked, wondering what the hell they were talking about. And then it dawned on me. "You mean Lorena?"

Cooter didn't reply, but the corners of his eyes twitched, so I knew I was right.

"You must be the dumbest crooks I've ever met," I said, wincing as a particular nasty bout of pain shot through me as the van drove over a bump in the road. "Lorena isn't my mistress. My master is Eric Northman, Sheriff of area 5, and he is coming for me as we speak."

Cooter looked at me dubiously. Since he was looking straight into my eyes, I decided to try and glamour him. I wasn't sure if I could still do that while I was wrapped in silver, but I had to find out more about what was going on. I pushed a little power, just a tiny sliver of what I usually would have available, into Cooter's mind.

"Why are you trying to abduct Lorena's child?" I asked carefully.

"Because Lorena defied our master when she tried to keep the telepath from him," Cooter said before he could help himself. I couldn't hold his gaze any longer since the silver caused my power to fizzle out, and Cooter realized what had happened.

"You fucking bitch!" Cooter kicked me in the side, and I growled in pain.

Baldie stared at Cooter. "You think we got the wrong vamp?" he asked, panic colouring his voice.

"Yes, you do," I said, looking between the two men. "You've kidnapped the child of the most powerful vampire in this state, and he is going to make you pay very soon."

"Stop the car!" Cooter yelled at the driver. "We've gotta dump this fucking bitch now!"

There was a loud thump, as though something heavy had just fallen onto the roof, and a second later the sound of metal ripping filled the back of the van.

"Told you," I said, my whole body humming and the pain of the silver almost forgotten now that Eric was so near. He was pushing his power into me.

The roof of the van disappeared and at once Eric dropped inside the van, crouching over me. With one swipe of his hand the tore Baldie's throat out, and a second later he broke Cooter's neck.

"Hi," I said with a happy smile as Eric looked down at me with fury in his eyes.

The van swirled to a standstill on the side of the road, and the driver just about fell out of the van and made a dash for the tree line, but Eric flew out of the car.

"Don't kill him!" I yelled. We needed to know what was going on. I heard a growl and the sound of bones breaking, and then Eric was by my side again, his lips and chin dripping with blood. "Did you kill him?" I asked anxiously.

"He was too dangerous to let live," Eric said as he pulled the gloves from Cooter's dead hands and slipped them onto his own. He unwrapped the silver from my neck and wrists.

"We should have glamoured him," I said as I tried to sit up.

Ignoring my comments, Eric placed his hand on my back to help me, and then offered me his throat. "Drink from me, my child."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I sank my fangs into his skin and moaned as I tasted my maker's blood. I got a few mouthfuls before Eric gently pulled back. "Thanks," I whispered.

"Let's go home," Eric said, scooping me up bridal style.

"No!" I wriggled in Eric's arms so he wouldn't just fly off. "We have to get to Sookie. These werewolves were after her, and Lorena's in on it somehow, and they took me by mistake. They were about to dump me when they realized that."

Eric frowned, and he looked like he was about to disagree.

"Sookie's a vampire in your area, and as Sheriff you have to help her," I said, shrinking a little in his arms as Eric glared at me.

"You're telling me how to do my job now?" Eric said, but then I saw the corner of his mouth twitch, and I grinned up at him. "Very well," he sighed, and I grinned wider in triumph.

And with that, we took off into the air. It only took us less than ten minutes to get to Bill's house. Apparently the werewolves hadn't gotten very far before Eric caught up with them.

We landed on the porch, and Eric set me down. I felt much better, thanks to Eric's blood, and managed to stand on my own two feet. That was, until the front door burst open and both Sookie and Jessica came tearing out of the house and engulfed me in a hug.

"I'm fine," I whispered, oddly touched by their affection. "They didn't hurt me. Eric got there in time."

Eric rolled his eyes at our little display and moved to the other end of the porch as he got his phone out. I heard him talking to Chow about sending some cleaners to take care of the dead wolves and the van.

"What happened?" Sookie asked as we pulled away from each other. "I just got off the phone with Eric when those men dragged you out of the house. I tried reading their minds, and the only thing I got was that they were talking you to Jackson."

"They thought I was you, Sookie," I said, and Sookie gasped in shock. "They were going for a blonde vampire living in this house."

"Ladies," Eric said as he joined us. "Why don't we go inside and you can all tell me exactly what is going on and why you three thought it a good idea to take on a pack of werewolves all by yourself."

I gulped and stared at the floor as I shuffled inside. I'd kind of forgotten Eric would probably be pissed about me fighting like that.

Inside the house, we shoved the furniture, which had all been tossed aside during the fight, to its previous positions and we sat down on the couch. Sookie, Jessica and me sharing one, and Eric sitting on the other opposite of us.

"Explain," Eric said, and both Sookie and Jessica looked at me expectantly. I guessed that since I was Eric's child, they figured I should handle the pissed off Sheriff.

I told Eric the first part of the story, how I'd found Sookie and Jessica trapped in the hidden hole, and what had happened to Lorena, and how the werewolves had caught us by surprise.

"And you didn't think to call me?" Eric asked me in a steely voice.

I pointed a finger at Sookie. "I told her to call you, didn't I? There wasn't time for anything else, Eric. These wolves just burst through the door. Jessica and I put up a good fight." And I gestured at the two bodies still lying in the room.

"You got lucky," Eric said.

I shrugged. "Anyway, Sookie heard that they planned to take me to Jackson, and I got the wolves to reveal that their master wanted Sookie because Lorena had defied him by keeping the telepath from him. So I'm thinking this master guy took Bill so Lorena would come to him, and now that he has them both he wants Sookie as well."

Eric leaned back in his seat. "Perhaps. Before Lorena came here she lived in Mississippi and worked for the King."

My mouth fell open. "The King of Mississippi is behind this?"

Eric shrugged. "It is possible that because Lorena has recently sworn fealty to our Queen and made a deal with her regarding the services of her telepath, the King of Mississippi got upset he was denied unlimited access to Sookie."

"Huh," I said, as I looked between Jessica and Sookie. Jessica seemed intrigued but Sookie looked like she might throw up.

"What about the werewolves?" I asked, again gesturing at the two dead bodies in the room. "Since when do werewolves work for vampires? I thought you all hated each other."

"They have a strange mark on their neck," Jessica said, before Eric could reply. Eric's eyes narrowed, but he didn't comment.

"Maybe some gang affiliation?" I guessed. "They were all wearing biker gear."

"That is not important." Eric got up from the couch. "Sookie, Jessica, you will come with us. If you stay here, you will be sitting ducks."

"I just want to go home," Sookie whispered, and she sounded more tired than I'd ever heard her.

"Sookie? Have you already forgotten the pack of rabid wolves that came here to kidnap you?" I softly reminded her.

"Get your things," Eric snapped, since he had far less patience for stubbornness. Sookie and Jessica trudged up the stairs to collect their personal belongings.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, as Eric stared at me. "But there was really nothing I could have done differently."

Eric didn't say anything. Bastard.

"Are you going to punish me?"

Eric kept quiet.

I wriggled in my seat, and then remembered something. "Oh, I did get a chance to deliver the package," I whispered, and gestured towards the kitchen.

This time Eric acknowledged me with a nod.

I wasn't sure what to make of that, but before I could try to apologize again, Sookie and Jessica joined us, each holding a few bags of clothes and toiletries.

"I'll drive," Eric said, and snatched the car keys from my hand. I didn't dare argue with him as I got in the passenger seat while Sookie and Jessica slipped into the backseat. "You two will stay with us tonight," Eric announced as we were on our way back to Shreveport. "Tomorrow, I will find more permanent accommodations for you."

"Thank you," Jessica said politely. Sookie only stared out the window.

The drive to Eric's house was a quiet affair. I spent it mostly in thought on how we were going to spin this situation to our advantage. We still had the Magister breathing down our necks, after all. I had planted the V, but I hadn't been able to glamour Lorena. Yet, perhaps we could still make this whole mess work for us.

Once we got to the house, we all followed Eric down to the underground lair.

"You'll rest on the couch," Eric told Jessica and Sookie. "These quarters are secure, so you'll be safe here."

I zipped into the bedroom and got some spare pillows and blankets for our guests. Not that they needed them, but I knew they'd appreciate the idea of it.

"There's blood in the fridge in Eric's office. You can drink as much as you like," I told them as I helped spread out the blankets. "And tomorrow, you can use one of the upstairs bathrooms. That way you'll have some privacy."

"Thanks," Sookie said as she sat down on the couch.

I got an idea that might cheer Sookie up a bit. "Sookie, maybe you should call Sam and your brother. There's a phone in Eric's office you could use."

Without a reply, Sookie zipped into Eric's office, where I heard Eric asking what she thought she was doing. I quickly rushed after her and explained the situation to Eric.

"And maybe we should take a bath. Together. Now," I told Eric with a meaningful look. I had to talk to him in private. Eric regarded me for a moment and then quietly followed me into the bedroom. I shut the door and turned towards Eric.

"We really have to talk about the plan. I have some new ideas," I whispered, but before I could say more my phone rang. I dug it out of my jacket and realized it was Godric calling.

"Hi," I said.

"Turid," Godric said, sounding a little uncertain. "I have read your letter, and you told me I could call you after I did."

"Yeah, I did," I said. So much had happened, I'd almost forgotten about my fight with Godric. "Look, this isn't really a good time to talk."

"Why?"

"Er...I kinda got in a fight with some werewolves tonight," I said, dreading Godric's response. "Long story."

"She got kidnapped. Again," Eric said loudly from the other side of the room. He was grinning, the bastard.

"Turid," Godric said, his voice lowering. "I think you should tell me what happened to you."

"It wasn't my fault," I said quickly, but that did nothing to appease Godric and I knew he was worried about me. So I told him what had happened while Eric sat on the edge of the bed, smirking, as he watched me squirm.

"I cannot believe the amount of trouble you get into," Godric said once I'd finished my story. "I swear, even Eric didn't get into this much trouble when he was your age."

I sputtered into the phone, deeply offended Godric would think such a thing, while Eric burst into laughter.

"It's not like I invited those werewolves over for a fight," I muttered, and then frowned when Eric stretched out his hand. "Hold on, I think Eric wants to talk to you." And I handed the phone over to Eric, who immediately started firing away in Old Norse.

I sighed and made my way to the bathroom to start our bath. I made the water nice and hot, and then studied Eric's collection of bath oils. They were all earthy, woodsy, rather masculine scents, and I briefly wondered how I should approach the subject of adding a few more floral scents to the collection. I chose pine, since our trusted bottle of sandalwood oil had run empty just two days prior.

Eric spent a good ten minutes on the phone with Godric, and by the time he was done I was already seated in the tub, patiently waiting for him to join me. Eric closed the bathroom door, quickly shed his clothing, and sank into the tub behind me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke. We just enjoyed the warm water and the feel of each other's bodies.

"I have a new plan," I finally said, and Eric made a soft sound of encouragement for me to continue. "Okay, so Lorena is in Mississippi, and I can't glamour her, but this isn't a bad thing."

"It isn't?" Eric asked.

"No, because she left Bon Temps just at the right time. Think about it, Eric," I said, as I looked at him over my shoulder. Eric looked interested enough in my theories. "The Magister visits you about a vampire selling V, and the very next night Lorena disappears and runs back to her previous monarch. It looks highly suspicious, if you ask me."

"Hm," Eric said, and I wasn't sure if it was agreement or not, so I continued, needing him to understand this new plan.

"Anyway, so I might not have been able to glamour Lorena, but there are other vampires I can glamour."

That got Eric's attention; his whole body stiffened against mine for a second. "You mean Sookie and Jessica?"

"Yeah," I said, feeling oddly guilty at the prospect of scrambling their minds. "Though it might not work on Sookie. Then again, Sookie is so desperate to get rid of Lorena, she might very well go along with our plan without a glamour."

Eric kept silent for a moment and I bit my lip in anticipation of his response. This was the best plan we had, unless Eric came up with something less risky.

"If you cannot glamour Sookie, and I suspect you won't be able to, than you should also refrain from glamouring Jessica. Sookie might notice something amiss with her friend if you do glamour her, and we cannot afford anyone finding out about your talent. Even if Lorena is a state away at the moment, she still is Sookie's master," Eric finally said.

I nodded my agreement and glanced at Eric over my shoulder. "So you want to let them in on the plan? They'll go along, I guarantee it. They both really want to see Lorena dead and gone."

Eric nodded against my shoulder, and then pressed a kiss to my throat. "We will inform them of the plan momentarily, but first I have other needs that require your attention."

I grinned. I could feel Eric's need pressing against my lower back, all hard and ready. I turned myself around so I was facing Eric, and at once Eric captured my lips in a searing kiss. I started moving my entire body against Eric's, rubbing myself against his hard length.

"Godric was right," Eric muttered as he licked his way towards my throat. "You get into far too much trouble."

"Not my fault," I gasped, and I raised myself up a little higher so I could sink down on his cock.

Eric hissed and bit down on my throat, perhaps a little more savagely than he could have, but the feeling of his fangs penetrating my skin still sent waves of pleasure through me. We fucked hard and fast, splashing water everywhere, but we both needed it after the night we'd had. I came with a loud cry, completely forgetting we had guests who might be able to hear that kind of noise, and Eric followed me over the edge a few thrusts later.

"Eric," I said, after we'd gotten out of the tub and were drying ourselves off. "Do you think this plan will work? That the Magister will buy it?"

"It had better," Eric said, and through our bond I felt his anxiety. He was as nervous about it as I was. He just hid it better.

"Do you have a backup plan?"

"Move to Europe," Eric said, tossing his towel in the hamper and stalking into the bedroom.

I sighed and followed him. We didn't speak any further as we got dressed. Eric pulled on some training pants and a shirt, and I choose a white tank top and a pair of pink yoga pants I'd bought a few years back when I'd thought yoga was something I might enjoy. I'd been wrong about the yoga, but I enjoyed the pants all the same.

We found Sookie and Jessica in the living room, watching TV with half-empty bottles of True Blood in front of them. I wanted to ask Sookie how her talk with Sam and Jason went, but I knew we had more important things to discuss. Our lives depended on it, after all.

Eric and I sat down on the couch while Sookie turned off the TV. Eric glanced at me, and I swallowed, trying to think of a way to sell our plan.

"If I told you there was a way to get rid of Lorena," I started carefully, and immediately I had Sookie's and Jessica's undivided attention. "Would you be willing to help us?"

"Anything," Sookie said at once, and Jessica nodded fervently. "Just tell us what to do."

"Anything?" I asked, just to be sure, and they both nodded. I glanced at Eric and sat back, crossing my arms.

"We have a plan to frame Lorena for selling V, but we need your assistance with it," Eric said, looking carefully between Sookie and Jessica. They both nodded, and Eric continued to tell them what we had planned. He left out the part where he'd been selling V on the Queen's behalf (the less people who knew about that, the better), and he just spun a story of an uptake in V users, and how the Magister had gotten wind of that, and how we could frame Lorena for it.

"We want the Magister off our backs, and you want Lorena gone," I added, after Eric was done with his story. "This way, we all get what we want."

I felt a huge sense of relief when Sookie nodded. "I'll do it. Anything to get rid of that bitch."

Jessica looked dubious for a few seconds. She'd obviously been intimidated once Eric had mentioned the Magister, and I could hardly blame her for that. "Won't the Magister punish us in Lorena's stead?" she asked softly.

Eric shook his head. "I doubt it. You are both only a few weeks old, and you weren't involved in this. Besides, Lorena left you behind while she fled the state. That makes her look only more guilty."

"Then I'll do it," Jessica said, now with determination.

I smiled at them both and turned to look at Eric. "So you'll call the Magister now and set up a meeting for sundown tomorrow?"

"I will call him now, yes," Eric said. "But the meeting won't take place at sundown. We'll have to wait for Godric's arrival."

My mouth fell open. "What?"

"Godric is coming," Eric said, giving me an amused look. "He plays a part in this, but we won't reveal what part until we speak with the Magister. Now I have a phone call to make." Eric got up and disappeared into his office, shutting the door behind him.

"Huh." I stared down at my lap. Godric was coming. I had no idea why, because just last night Eric had told me Godric could probably do very little for us. But now apparently Eric thought Godric could help us. I was beyond confused.

"Turid," Sookie asked. "Do you really think this plan will work?"

"It had better," I said vaguely. If it didn't work, all our asses would be on the line.

Eric returned five minutes later. "We're meeting with the Magister at 11 pm tomorrow at one of my safe houses."

"Not Fangtasia?" I asked.

"It's bugged," Eric said, sitting down beside me.

"Duh," I said, more to myself. "I knew that."

We sat quietly for a few long moments, all four of us lost in our own thoughts. I was torn between feeling nervous about meeting with the Magister tomorrow and about Godric's impending visit. The last time I'd seen Godric, I'd been more upset with him than I'd ever been, and while we'd started to mend our relationship, I wasn't sure yet if I was ready to just forgive him. Not to mention there might not be much time to talk to Godric in private, since we were supposed to frame Lorena and deceive the Magister. And if the Magister saw through our lies, we might all meet our final deaths.

Eric must have sensed my distress through out bond because he reached for my hand and pulled me up from the couch. "Come," he said. "Let me take your mind of all our troubles for a while."

Jessica grinned and Sookie rolled her eyes as Eric lead me into our bedroom.

"Goodnight," I yelled over my shoulder, just before Eric shut the bedroom door. I heard a couple of muffled "Goodnights" in return.

"It will work, right?" I asked anxiously as Eric pulled me into a tight embrace. Perhaps he needed to take his mind off our troubles as much as I did.

"We'll make it work," Eric whispered against my shoulder. "And if all else fails, you can always glamour the Magister."

"Oh, so no pressure then," I said, my head suddenly light at the idea of having to do that to the fucking Magister.

Eric grinned down at me. He was showing fang. "No more talk," he said, and then gently pushed down on my shoulders. "I think you owe me a little something special for having rescued you tonight."

I sank down on my knees and looked at the obvious bulge in Eric's pants. It was true; a blowjob would be special, because I rarely gave them to Eric. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I usually couldn't control my fangs once I'd gotten suitably aroused, and it was impossible to give a decent blowjob with a pair of razor sharp fangs in the way.

But as it turned out, feeling nervous about the Magister and Godric was the perfect way to keep my fangs in check and to give Eric his special treat for his rescue of little old me.

And afterwards, Eric managed to keep my mind of things for an hour or two with this own special skills. At least, until a few minutes before sunrise. As I lay in Eric's arm, tired and spent and physically satisfied yet still filled with anxiety, I couldn't help wonder if this was the last time I'd meet the dawn in Eric's arms. If our plan didn't work, it might very well be.

"Sshh," Eric whispered against my hair. "We'll be fine."

I wanted to believe him. I really did. "I love you," I said, because I wanted him to know that.

Eric stroked a hand down my back. "If something goes wrong," he finally said, his voice sounding oddly constricted, "I want you to teleport to Dallas."

"What?" I said, pushing myself up so I could stare into his eyes. Eric looked pained, which was a very odd look for him.

"Godric will fly back to Dallas, but if something happens to me, I want you to teleport there at once. Promise me."

"But Eric - "

"Promise me!"

"I promise," I whispered, swallowing against a lump in my throat.

Eric placed his hand on the back of my head and urged me to lie down against his chest again. "You are dear to me, lover. I will not see you hurt over this."

Before I could tell Eric I didn't want to see him hurt, either, the sun rose, and all our troubles were forgotten for the day.


End file.
